Hogwarts: The Next Generation
by Bex-La-Get
Summary: Sequel to When the Day Met the Night. A story following the lives of the Malfoys and their children in their daily lives. Disclaimer: All rights belong to J.K. Rowling.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Hey guys! So I wanted to wait to post this story but I decided that I'm just going to post it now for those of you having withdrawals from no more**_ **When the Day Met the Night _updates. I am still writing this story as well as another one so updates will be scarce for the time being. Thanks so much for all your support with_ Day Met the Night _. It means so much to me that you guys loved that story and I hope that this sequel does it justice. So, without further adieu, here is the sequel:_ Hogwarts: The Next Generation _._**

 ** _Tallyho!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Death of a Patriarch**

It was a sunny Sunday morning in July at Malfoy Manor. The french doors that led to the garden were open allowing the smell of fresh lavender and roses to fill the home. Hermione was in the kitchen teaching Gemma how to make Liz Granger's famous apple pie, Myrna and Scorpius were sitting at the breakfast bar swapping ideas for their annual Quidditch game against the Potters and Weasleys (the Zabinis and Notts would be playing with the Malfoys), and Draco was telling Ezra about Hogwarts (this September would mark Gemma and Ezra's first year at Hogwarts).

Hermione was laughing at something Gemma had said when their barn owl Hamlet flew into the kitchen and landed on her shoulder. Hermione looked at it as if it were the most normal thing on the planet (which it was, as Hermione was the only one Hamlet did that to), took the letter he was carrying, and gave him a treat before he flew off to his perch they had set up for him in the kitchen next to Edgar, the snowy owl Hermione and Draco had bought Scorpius his first year (they had a perch in every room). She turned the letter around in her hands and noticed the familiar scrawl of her mother-in-law directed towards her husband.

"Draco," she said, handing it to him, "it's for you."

He stood up and ruffled Ezra's hair as he walked to his wife to take the letter. He kissed her cheek and took the envelope from her hand but not before stealing an apple slice that Hermione had cut for the pie. "Hey!" she said, slapping him with the dish towel she had hanging off her shoulder. Draco laughed and put his hands up in surrender as he ate the slice. He opened the envelope and pulled out the small letter that was inside. The smile on his face dropped as he read what his mother had to say. When he reached the end of the letter, his heart felt like it would explode. Slamming the letter onto the counter, he stormed off to another part of the house. Recognizing his anger, Hermione grabbed the letter and read it.

 _Draco,_

 _I'm so sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I received some unfortunate news this morning. Your father passed away last night. I am told that it was a very peaceful passing. Andromeda is here now, helping me cope. I know Hermione will be there for you as well but if you want to talk, I'm only a floo call away._

 _I'm so sorry, sweetheart. Call me when you're ready._

 _Give my best to Hermione and the kids._

 _I love you._

 _Mum._

Hermione gripped the letter and threw the rag off her shoulder. "Myrna, help your sister," she said before taking off after her husband, leaving her four children very befuddled by their parents sudden change in behavior. Malfoy Manor may have been a big house but Hermione immediately knew where Draco would be. Her suspicions were confirmed when she found Delilah outside the library doors looking very concerned.

"Oh Mistress!" the small elf said, "Is everything alright?"

"Um… no, Delilah, I'm sorry to say that it's not."

"Oh dear. I'm very worried for Master Draco. He did not look well."

Hermione nodded. "Listen, Delilah, I left the kids in the kitchen with the oven on. Will you check on them please? If they ask what happened, just tell them that I'll explain everything later. I'll take care of Master Draco." The small elf nodded and walked off towards the kitchen.

Hermione took a deep breath before entering the library. She found Draco sitting in his favorite chair clutching something to his chest as he had silent tears running down his face. Her eyes softened as she walked towards her husband. He made no acknowledgement of her presence; he just kept staring into space. She slid what he was holding out of his hands to look at it: it was a picture of him, Narcissa, and Lucius from his childhood. They were all smiling and seemed to be very happy. Hermione sighed and put the picture on the table next to the chair. Draco still hadn't moved. It was only when Hermione climbed into the chair (she was small enough that the chair could fit both of them) next to him and began to rub small circles into his back that he looked at her. His eyes held so much pain and sadness that Hermione could feel her heart breaking. "Oh Draco," she said.

And then he was crying. She held onto him as he cried his heart out. He had made peace with the loss of his father years ago but hearing that he had actually died broke Draco. Lucius was a good man; very lost but good. Narcissa had told Draco after Scorpius had been born that Lucius would have loved his grandchildren and both believed that eventually he and Hermione would have made their peace with each other. Now, he would never meet his grandchildren or see the changes to the Manor or see how happy Draco was with Hermione.

He wasn't sure how long he had cried but all he knew was the shadows in the room had changed signalling that it was around noon. When he calmed down enough, Hermione kissed his temple and led him to their bedroom where she had him lie down and try to sleep. "Wait, Hermione," he grabbed her hand before she walked out of the room. "T-tell the kids I'm sorry and that I love them."

She nodded. "I will. Now rest. I'll come check on you in a bit." He complied. She kissed his forehead one more time before closing their bedroom door and going to find Delilah and the kids.

Hermione had found Delilah in the kitchen, the pie she had been making earlier sitting on the counter, baked completely. Hermione thanked the house elf for the help and asked that she have some tea ready for Draco when he woke up. She left Delilah puttering around the kitchen to find her children huddled together in the living room trying to figure out what set their parents off earlier that morning. They all perked up when Hermione entered the room causing a small smile to grow on her face. "Hi," she said.

"Hi mum," the kids muttered. Gemma got up from the floor and hugged her mother. Hermione kissed the top of her daughter's head and smiled as she looked up at her with those silver eyes that were so similar to her father's. "Everything okay, mum?"

Hermione sighed. "No, sweetie, it's not."

"What happened?" Scorpius asked.

She took a deep breath and walked to the couch with Gemma right behind her. She sat down and immediately all her kids sat around her with Gemma curled up in her lap, Ezra at her feet and Myrna and Scorpius sitting next to her on the couch. Hermione swallowed before speaking. "Your father received some sad news this morning. Your grandfather, Lucius, passed away last night."

Myrna's brows furrowed. "But… I thought Grandpa Lucius died a long time ago?"

She shook her head. "Not quite. You remember what your dad and I told you? About the war and the punishments the Death Eaters received? About something called the Kiss?" The kids nodded. Each year, before the kids left for Hogwarts, Hermione and Draco sat the child who would be entering school for the first time and tell them about the war and their parts in it. They explained about the Dark Mark on Draco's arm and Voldemort's plans for mass genocide. And, of course, her and Draco's efforts in the war. Every last detail was explained to the kids in order to prepare them for whatever they might face as Hogwarts. Scorpius and Myrna had been extremely accepting of the story and had very few problems at Hogwarts. The twins had been the same when they heard the story and were expecting no problems at school as well.

Hermione sighed. "Your grandfather received the Kiss as punishment for his crimes during the war. Granny and your father saw him the day he received his sentence. They made their peace with each other and said their goodbyes. That was the last time either of them saw Lucius. As I'm sure you remember, the Kiss sucks someone's soul of them leaving nothing but an empty shell which is what your grandfather became. Lucius did die that day but his body was still alive. Until last night when he passed."

The kids were silent as they processed what their mother had told them. "You have to understand," Hermione emphasized, "it was a bad time for everyone. The war had just ended and the world was slowly healing but they were also still angry. The Kiss has since been outlawed and is no longer used as a form of punishment but that law came too late for your grandfather, unfortunately. He was a good man, he just made some bad choices." She gave her children a sad smile and brushed some of Myrna's hair out of her face. "He would have loved you guys. If your father and I allowed him, he probably would have spoiled each of you rotten."

The kids smiled at their mom. Hermione ran her fingers through Ezra's pale blonde hair as she sighed. "This is going to be a bit of a difficult time for your dad so, please, just be patient with him. He'll talk to you about this when he's ready but right now he needs to cope with the loss of your grandfather. He wanted me to tell you though that he loves you guys so much and he's sorry. I love you guys too."

"We love you too, mum," Scorpius said. Hermione grinned at her children.

"Come here," she said opening her arms. All four of her children jumped on her to be a part of the group hug. She laughed as all she saw was hair. "Guys, I can't breathe!" she said. They all jumped back. "Sorry, mum!" Ezra said.

She ruffled his hair and smiled. "Alright, who wants lunch because I am starving!"

"Me!" four voices said. Hermione laughed and followed her children into the kitchen, quietly hoping her husband was okay.

* * *

It would be two days before Draco emerged from their bedroom. He had cried all night that first night in Hermione's arms and spent the entirety of the second day in their bedroom. The second night he hadn't cried but Hermione still held onto him the entire night to soothe him. The third day, when he woke up, he felt lighter. Like the cloud that had been surrounding him since he had gotten the news of his dad's death was gone. He took a deep breath and realized that he could breathe freely as well. For the first time in two days, he welcomed the sun that was peeking through the curtains in their room.

Hermione had known that Draco was feeling better the moment she woke up. Her eyes fluttered open to find her husband smiling to himself and noticed that his breathing was even compared to the shaky ones he had been breathing these last few days. She propped herself up on one elbow and smiled when his eyes met hers. "You seem to be feeling better."

He nodded. "I am. That wretched cloud over my head is finally gone and I feel like I can finally breathe."

"What changed? I mean, what caused it to go away?"

He thought about it for a moment. "I think I finally made peace with my dad. I know I forgave him the day he got the Kiss but I don't think I made peace with him until after he died. I know that probably sounds terrible but there's something about his passing that allowed me to finally allowed me to bury the hatchet, if you will. His shadow is no longer haunting me in the dark corners of my past. I'm… free."

She smiled and leaned down to kiss him. It was the first kiss that they had recently shared that wasn't full of sadness or for comfort. It was a tender loving kiss that allowed both parties to express their undying love for each other without words. When they pulled out, Hermione snuggled into Draco's arms. "I'm so proud of you, you know." He smiled. "I know it sounds narcissistic but I'm proud of me too."

She chuckled and gave him another soft kiss before getting out of bed and jumping into the shower to get ready for work. Draco had other ideas, however, as he jumped in with her and made up for lost time with his wife. After a session of morning love making _and_ a shower, Hermione kissed her husband goodbye before taking off for work. She had floo called the hospital and told Draco's boss that there had been a family emergency and would be taking the rest of the week off. His boss had been very understanding said he'd see Draco next week. Since he didn't have to leave for work, he took his time getting dressed. He opened the french doors to let some fresh air in before heading to the kitchen to get his morning coffee. He smiled at Delilah, who was relieved to have him wandering around the house again, and grabbed the Daily Prophet as he sat down in the backyard and enjoyed the morning air.

He was nibbling on some toast Delilah had brought him when Myrna walked out. He looked up at his daughter and smiled. "Hi, Minnie." Minnie was Myrna's nickname. Scorpius couldn't pronounce Myrna when she had been born, so he called her Minnie instead. It had stuck ever since.

"Hi daddy."

He put the paper down as she sat next to him on the bench. She tucked her legs under her as Draco brushed a piece of hair out of her face and smiled at her. She smiled back but it fell as she began to speak. "I-I'm sorry about Grandpa Lucius. Mum told us what happened."

He nodded. "She told me. And thank you. I'm sorry I locked myself away from you guys. That wasn't fair for you."

She shrugged. "It's okay."

He shook his head. "No, it's not. I'm your father, I shouldn't have done that. I'm supposed to be there for you at all times and I accidentally let my own grief come before you guys. It won't happen again. You guys and your mum come first in my life. That's how it has been and how it will be. I promise."

Myrna smiled. "When you're ready, if you don't mind, Scorp and I would like to hear about Grandpa. You never really talk about him but we were curious about what he was like and who he was. If that's okay with you?"

Draco smiled. "I would love to share some stories with you guys. I can't right now because it's still too fresh but I promise, I will. I'm sure Granny has some stories she'd love to share with you as well. Maybe over Christmas so we can share them together?" She smiled and nodded in agreement at that idea.

Soon after, Scorpius and the twins joined them outside and Draco apologized to his children and promised to tell them more about Lucius later after some time had passed. The kids forgave Draco and hugged him as he smiled. He would spend the rest of the week with his children, enjoying his time off from work. At night, he would make a list of stories about Lucius that he would tell the kids.

Lucius was buried a week later. It had been a small funeral party: Narcissa, Andromeda, Draco and Hermione, Blaise, and Theo had all attended. The kids had also attended. When the funeral ended, Narcissa and Andromeda walked Theo and Blaise back to the road to leave Hermione, Draco, and their kids alone for a few minutes. Draco rested his hand on the tombstone and sighed. Hermione rested her head on his shoulder and squeezed his arms soothingly. He looked at her and smiled before looking to his children.

"I'm sorry you never got to meet him," he said. "I think he would have loved you guys." He looked back to the tombstone. "I used to think he was a coward to have succumbed to the Dark Lord instead of fighting him. I realize now, that he did what he did to protect your grandmother and I. I didn't understand that until after you were born, Scorpius. I would go to the ends of the earth for you guys and do whatever I could to protect you. I know, now, that that is what my father did. He wasn't a bad person. He just went about protecting us the wrong way and it took him down a dark path with no way out. I won't make the same mistake."

The kids gave their father sad smiles. Draco wrapped an arm around Hermione who hugged him tightly. Gemma was the first of the Malfoy children to approach her father and give him a hug. Ezra was next and quickly Myrna and Scorpius joined in. The family of six stood there embracing for a few minutes. "I love you guys," Draco said.

"Love you too, dad," Ezra said.

Draco smiled at his children as they pulled out of the hug. Hermione looked up to her husband and gave him a soft kiss before leading the kids back to their grandmother, allowing Draco a moment alone. He looked back at the tombstone and patted it softly. "Love you, dad," he whispered.

He turned around and walked back to his wife who was waiting for him. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her forehead as they wandered back to their children to take them back home.

He didn't look back.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I didn't post this earlier... in all honesty, I forgot it was Friday. Ha! Anyway, Happy Belated Canada Day to all Canadians out there (my mom's birthday is on Canada Day too)! And Happy Independence Day America (yes, I know it's not 'til tomorrow)! Be careful out there you guys. If you drink, please call a cab or get a DD. BE RESPONSIBLE! And keep an eye out on your furry friends too. Those poor babies don't understand what's happening and to them, all the fireworks may seem like the end of the world. Be sure you give some love and reassure them that everything is okay. Have a great weekend everyone!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 2: A New Era**

The Malfoys were walking through a very busy King's Cross Station on September 1st. Myrna and Scorpius were walking ahead of their parents with their luggage chatting about the upcoming school year. Edgar was in a cage amongst Scorpius' things while Myrna had a small calico cat sitting in a cage on her things named Cleo.

Gemma and Ezra were walking with their parents, anxious to get to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters to get on the Hogwarts express for the first time. They had been there twice before when Scorpius and Myrna had left for school but this was the first time they would be joining their siblings on the train. Both kids had gotten a pet for Hogwarts: Ezra had a small burrowing owl named Hozier and Gemma had a black cat named Felix. As they approached the entrance, the twins slowed down.

Myrna and Scorpius ran through the barrier without any hesitation. Draco gripped Ezra's cart and put a supporting hand behind his back. "You ready, kiddo?" he asked his youngest son. Ezra nodded and ran through the barrier with his father. Hermione and Gemma appeared moments after. Once through the barrier, the twins relaxed a bit. They caught up with the Potters and loaded their things onto the train before talking with Lily and Monty who would be joining them in their first year. They talked animatedly about what house they thought they'd be placed in.

Myrna and Scorpius were talking with James, Albus, and Claire when Sebastian Nott and Benjamin Weasley joined the conversation. Sebastian placed an arm on Myrna's shoulder, using her as a resting post, but she shook him off causing him to almost fall over. Scorpius rolled his eyes at his sister and best friend. James, Scorpius, Ben, and Bass (Sebastian's nickname) considered themselves the second generation of Marauders. Ever since James had stolen the map out of Harry's desk and inquired about who the Marauders were, the four intended to be as legendary as their predecessors. The difference, however, was that the boys were in different houses. Like their fathers, Bass and Scorpius were in Slytherin and James and Ben were in Gryffindor. They didn't let their house differences stop them, however; if anything it enabled them to cause even _more_ trouble. Needless to say, they were _not_ Headmistress McGonagall's favorite students.

Finally, the time came to board the train. The parents hugged their children and kissed them goodbye before sending them off to school. Hermione gave her eldest son a bone crushing hug. "Take care of your sisters and brother, okay?"

"I will, mum." Scorpius said, smiling.

Draco and Hermione hugged Myrna and then hugged the twins and gave them a kiss. "Write us often." Draco told Gemma.

"I will, daddy." she promised. With one last hug, all the students jumped onto the train and waved goodbye to their parents from their compartments. Draco and Hermione smiled as they waved goodbye to their children as the train left the station. They smiled to each other before walking out of the station and back to work, hand in hand.

Meanwhile, on the train, Scorpius and Myrna made sure the twins had a compartment before separating to find their respective friends in their own compartment; Scorpius with the boys and Myrna with Claire and Albus. Gemma and Ezra were sitting in a compartment with Monty and Lily. "What do you think Hogwarts will be like?" Monty asked.

"I think it's going to be amazing!" Lily enthused. "I've seen all these pictures of the place and it looks _huge_! Plus James and Albus say it's the best place to be next to home. I'm so excited!"

"As long as it's nothing like when mum, Uncle Harry, and Uncle Ron were there, then I'm good!" Ezra joked. The other three laughed all having heard the stories of when their parents were at school. They talked about nothing in particular as the train took them to Hogwarts. They bought some treats from the trolley lady and joked about who would have a better chance of helping their prospective house win the House Cup. Myrna came by near the end of the trip to make sure that they were in their robes before running back to her own compartment to grab her things.

As the train came to a stop at Hogsmeade, the First Years got off to find a large wizard standing at the far end of the lane. "First Years, this way!" he said.

"Hi Hagrid!" James said, waving to the wizard. Hagrid waved back and smiled. The twins, Lily, and Monty immediately all recognized Hagrid from the stories their parents had told them about. Hagrid greeted them warmly and smiled as he realized who's kids they were. They all got on small boats that led them to the castle. When they reached the school, they all entered a large hallway with great wooden doors that would lead them to the Great Hall. As they approached the doors, a young, handsome wizard was standing in front of them with a warm smile on his face. "Welcome," he said. "My name is Professor Neville Longbottom. I'm the Deputy Headmaster here at Hogwarts. In a few moments, you will enter the Great Hall and be sorted into one of four houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff. After you have been sorted, please join your House at their respective table. The Sorting will begin shortly. Please wait here until then."

Neville walked off leaving the anxious First Years to talk amongst themselves. It didn't last long as Neville came back a few moments later to lead them into the Hall. Gemma and Ezra held each other's hands as they entered the large hall. It was illuminated by many candles and torches and the ceiling had been enchanted to look like the night sky. The twins spotted Myrna and Scorpius at their respective tables and both gave them smiles of encouragement. The group of First Years stopped at the front of the room where a small stool and a dusty hat sat.

Neville unrolled a long scroll and began to call out names beginning with A. The Sorting continued for a while; Gemma and Ezra held onto each other's hands the whole time. Finally, came the M's. Ezra was called up first. He squeezed Gemma's hand one last time before sitting down on the stool. Neville put the hat on his head. There was a moment of silence before the hat yelled "Gryffindor!"

The Gryffindor table cheered as Ezra ran to Myrna with a large grin on his face. As her twin sat down with his new house, Gemma was called to the stool. The hat was placed on her head and she closed her eyes. _I just want to make my parents proud_ , she thought. Hearing her thoughts, the hat seemed to know exactly where she would belong. "Hufflepuff!"

The Hufflepuff table broke out into loud cheers as Gemma slid off the stool and walked to the table sitting in an empty space between two third years. Gemma looked to Myrna who had raised her eyebrows at the hat's proclamation. Her older sister smiled at her though and nodded in confirmation. Scorpius did the same when she looked to her older brother. Gemma took a deep breath as she embraced her new house. Deep down, she knew she wouldn't belong in any of the other houses; she just didn't feel any sort of connection with any of them. But whenever she thought about Hufflepuff, she felt happy. Like it seemed to be calling her from afar. When Lily had also been put into Hufflepuff, Gemma smiled, confident that the hat had made the right choice. She just hoped her parents would think the same thing.

Monty was one of the last to be called. Like his father and brother, he had been put in Gryffindor. After the sorting ended, the feast began. Gemma and Lily were laughing as they began talking to a couple of second years across from them. Ezra looked to Myrna who was watching her baby sister. "You think dad will be okay about Gem?" he asked.

Myrna nodded and looked to her brother. "If mum has anything to say about it, he won't have a choice. But I don't think it will be a problem. I don't think she'd have been happy in any of the other houses. Hufflepuff seems to fit her. And with Lily with her, I know she'll be just fine."

After dinner, the First Years were led to their respective House common rooms. Lily and Gemma were led to a corridor next to the kitchens. The Prefect stopped in front of a large pile of barrels and explained how to get into the common room by tapping the barrels in the rhythm of 'Helga Hufflepuff' and the barrel opened. Everyone crawled through the small space and entered a large cozy room. It was round with low ceilings, and had many copper finishings with various plants around the room. The furniture was overstuffed and upholstered in black and yellow fabric but looked extremely comfortable. They were led to the dormitories through round doors in the common room. There were five four poster beds in the bedroom with copper lights and bed warmers to keep the room and beds warm. The bedding was patchwork quilts and large pillows. Felix was already laying on Gemma's bed, fast asleep.

Lily's bed was right next to Gemma's which was a relief for both girls as they would have someone they knew to be with them at all times. The two friends changed into their pajamas and got ready for bed. While Lily went straight to sleep, Gemma stayed up and wrote her parents her letter announcing which house she had been sorted into. She knew it wasn't what they had hoped for, but she reassured them that she felt very at home in Hufflepuff and hoped she could make them proud.

* * *

"Hufflepuff?! What do you mean she's in Hufflepuff?!" Draco exclaimed.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "She got sorted into Hufflepuff. That's all there is to it."

"But she _can't_! She's a Malfoy! She's supposed to be in Gryffindor or Slytherin! Not Hufflepuff!"

"Honey, sit down before you give yourself a heart attack." Draco complied. Hermione sat down next to him. "She's not alone, you know. Lily's in Hufflepuff too."

"I know, but… she… what in Merlin's name is going on?"

"Draco, think about it. She never showed signs similar to any of the other houses. Myrna and Ezra were always more brave and reckless, much to my chagrin, and Scorp has always been ambitious and cunning like you and, unfortunately, like the Marauders. She's smart but she's not a logical thinker like Ravenclaws are. Gemma was never like any of those. She's always been more humble and she is fiercely loyal which is very fitting for a Hufflepuff. Personally, I think it's a perfect match. And before you retort, remember, Tonks was a Hufflepuff too."

Draco sighed. "You got me there. I guess I can get used to the idea."

"Good, because you'll have to." Hermione joked.

He smirked and kissed his wife before going to the library to write each of his children a letter. Hermione followed and added her own notes at the bottom of each letter before sealing them and giving them to Hamlet to give to the kids.

* * *

Three days later, the letters arrived. Hamlet dropped all four off with Myrna since she and Ezra sat at the same table and it was easier for Hamlet to make the drop at one table instead of three. Myrna gave the owl a small bite of toast before he took off for home again. The blonde skimmed through the letters, handing Ezra's to him and signaling to her older brother and younger sister that their letters had arrived.

Gemma walked over and timidly took the letter from her sister. She looked at her father's scrawl on it and sighed in relief that at least it wasn't a Howler. Still nervous to open it however, she handed it back to Myrna. "Will you read it with me?" she asked.

"Gem, you know he's not going to be disappointed in you," her sister reassured her.

"I know, but please?" she asked, wringing her hands.

Myrna nodded and opened the letter as Gemma sat between her and Ezra. Scorpius rested his chin on top of Myrna's head as they all read the letter from their father.

 _My sweet Gemma,_

 _Congratulations on being sorted into Hufflepuff! I must admit, I was a bit surprised when I heard but after talking about it with your mother, we realized that Hufflepuff is a perfect fit for you and they are lucky to have you. You and Lily are going to do brilliantly in that house and I know you're going to give your siblings a run for their money._

 _We are both so incredibly proud of you and we love you very much. I hope you have a wonderful school year and we'll see you at Christmas._

 _Much love,_

 _Mum and Dad._

 _P.S. You can now brag that you're the first Malfoy to ever be in Hufflepuff! How cool is that? Granny says to give them hell (just don't cause too much trouble. McGonagall already has her hands full with Scorp and the boys). I love you, sweetheart. Give my love to Neville! - Mum_

Gemma released the breath she didn't know she had been holding and smiled. Myrna smiled and hugged her sister. "See? Nothing to worry about."

Gemma shrugged. "Yeah but still. We're Malfoys. Malfoys don't get sorted into Hufflepuff."

"They do now," Scorpius smirked. Gemma hugged her older brother before returning to Lily, her letter in her hand. Scorpius mussed up Ezra's hair before returning to the Slytherin table to read his own letter. Myrna and Ezra read their respective letters before pocketing them and continuing their breakfast with their friends. As they the bell rang, they split up to go to their respective classes which marked the beginning of the school year.

* * *

 _ **P.S. Woo! Hufflepuff pride!**_

 _ **Stay Golden!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Alright, I need help! I need some harmless but fun prank ideas (they can exist in either the wizarding world or in the muggle world; either one is good). I have a few in mind but if you guys could give me a few more, it would greatly help. Thanks in advance and thanks for all the love on the story, guys! Keep the reviews coming.**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 3: The Library**

Myrna was sitting in the far corner of the library next to a large window writing her paper for Potions. Professor Slughorn had wanted everyone to write a paper on a potion of their choice and to include information such as the history, the inventor, what's needed to make the potion, and what the effects of said potion are. Myrna had chosen _Felix Felicis._ She found the potion fascinating and was more than excited to write a paper on it as it would allow her to do more research on it. Like her mother, Myrna wrote at least three rough drafts before considering to write the final draft. She had finished her final rough draft an hour ago and was currently on her final draft. She knew she was one of Slughorn's favorite students but that didn't stop her from wanting to make sure the paper was perfect.

As she was writing, she heard someone sit down in the chair across from her. "Not now, Scorp, I'm on a roll here-" she looked up not to find her brother but a different Slytherin. "Sebastian?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Wow, I get the full name today? I must've done something wrong… or did I do something right?"

Myrna rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here, Bass? Shouldn't you be plotting your next great prank with my brother and the terrible duo?"

Bass shrugged. "Oh we've had that planned for weeks! I just wanted to see what you were up to?"

She furrowed her brows. "Why?"

"What do you mean 'why?' I can't visit with my favorite Gryffindor just because I want to?"

Myrna raised an eyebrow and leaned back into her chair. "Bass, I've known you my entire life. I know _you_. And I know that you always have an ulterior motive to everything you do, especially when talking to me. It what makes you _you_. And I thought James was your favorite Gryffindor?"

Bass shook his head. "Nope. James lost his privileges when he hit me in the head with his Charms book."

Myrna covered her face with her hands as she tried to control the volume of her laughter. Bass pursed his lips as he waited for her to regain composure. "Well," she said still giggling, "I know James isn't a bad aim so you must have been a real prat for him to hit you."

"He claims it was an accident but I think he did it to get back at me for crushing him at our Quidditch game this past summer."

Myrna thought about that. "He _can_ be a bit of a sore loser sometimes. But wouldn't Ben be your favorite then, if James got knocked down a peg?"

"Ben lost points for laughing."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "So I'm third after my parent's godson and my godparent's son… Thank you?"

"Well when you put it that way it sounds worse…" Bass said. "But if it makes it any better, you're my favorite _female_ Gryffindor!"

She pursed her lips. "I'm not sure that makes it better but I appreciate the effort."

Bass chuckled. "Look, Bass," Myrna started, "if you want to sit here, fine. But I'm not going to sit here and talk all night. I _do_ have a paper to write. So, unless you brought something to do, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

He raised his eyebrows. "I think that's the nicest way you've ever told me to go away," he chuckled. "As it so happens, I _did_ bring something to do so I'll be staying right here, thank you."

Myrna rolled her eyes and went back to her paper as Bass pulled out a book from his bag. He struggled to read, however, as he watched Myrna work. She became so focused on what she was doing, she hardly noticed anything around her. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun but a couple of strands had fallen out while she had been working. She bit her lip - a habit she had picked up from her mother - as she thought about what she was writing and not once did her hand falter.

He was entranced. He had never seen anyone work so diligently as she did. Her long nimble fingers held her quill with confidence and her blue eyes searched the page so quickly, it was hard to believe she was reading. A small smile grew on his face as he watched her. No longer was she the scrawny little girl he had grown up with; now she was maturing into a young woman with a mind of her own and quick wit that caught you off guard if you weren't ready. She had grown taller in the last year and had filled out while her face had matured so she now looked at least sixteen instead of fourteen. She was starting to become quite a beautiful girl.

He hadn't noticed that she had finished her paper until she looked at him and furrowed her brows. "What?" she asked.

He was pulled out of his thoughts and shook his head to clear his mind. "Uh… nothing. It's just…" _What? Just what?_ "You're left handed?" he asked. He wanted to smack himself for asking such a stupid question.

She looked to her hand and back at him. "Yeah… why?"

"N-nothing, I just never noticed before." He quickly shoved his book back into his bag and stood up. "I gotta go. See you later, Minnie," he said quickly before walking out of the library trying not to run. _Stupid, stupid, stupid,_ he thought to himself as he walked back to the Slytherin common room.

Myrna watched him go and furrowed her brows in confusion at the boy but shook her head and shrugged. Pushing his weird outburst to the back of her mind, she went back to proofreading her paper ignoring the butterflies she had in her stomach from their conversation and the way he had been looking at her when he thought she wasn't looking.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Hey guys, just a quick FYI, I'm going out of town next Tuesday so there may not be an update next week. If I can get wifi, I'll post a chapter, but if not, I'll post one when I get back. Also, in case you can't tell, I have no method to posting chapters for this story and**_ **The Serpent, the Lioness, and the Dog. _I'm working on both all the time but I just post which ever one I feel like posting at the time. If you'd prefer one to get updated more often than the other, please let me know and I'll do what I can. Otherwise it's going to stay sporadic._**

 ** _Tallyho!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Quidditch Practice**

It was a sunny Saturday morning at Hogwarts and the Gryffindors were walking to the Quidditch pitch to practice. Teddy Lupin was captain of the team this year and the Keeper, Ben and James were the Beaters, and Myrna was the Seeker. They were laughing and sharing jokes as they entered one of the courtyard. Their happy mood was soon interrupted, however.

"Oi! Malfoy!" they heard. Myrna turned around to see her brother, Bass, Albus, and the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team walking towards them dressed in their Quidditch robes and carrying their brooms. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment as she looked Bass over in his Quidditch gear. _Damn_ , did he make Quidditch look good.

 _Did I just think that?_ she thought. _I did not just think that._ She didn't have time to process her thoughts as the Slytherins came closer to her team. She shook her head before speaking. "What is it _now_ , Bass?"

"Just where do you think you're going?" he smirked.

She looked to her team then back at the Slytherin. "Practice. We got permission to use the pitch today."

Bass whipped out a piece of paper and handed it to Teddy who had walked up next to Myrna. "How funny. So did we."

"Well, clearly there was a miscommunication between the professors if we both got permission to use the pitch. We'll have to find some sort of a compromise." Teddy said, handing the paper back to Bass.

"Well I can think of one way we can compromise." the Slytherin began to suggest.

Myrna scoffed. "There's no way in hell we're giving you the pitch today, Nott!"

"Why not? You guys don't need to practice! Half of you have been practicing all summer preparing for our annual game!"

"You were there too!"

"But I didn't practice as much as you guys did."

Myrna rolled her eyes and looked to her brother who was behind Sebastian. "Want to help me out, here?"

Scorpius shook his head. "No way! If there's anything I've learned it's to not get involved when you two are arguing."

Myrna huffed. Scorpius had a point: out of everyone, she and Bass argued the most. Like her mother, she was very headstrong and like his father, Sebastian loved to piss people off: Myrna the most out of everyone (only now did she question if he egged her on for another reason). During their arguments, neither would ever back down from their argument and they only ended when they challenged each other to a round of who could catch the snitch first. Whoever caught the snitch, won the argument. Myrna didn't want to do that this time as she knew her team needed to practice.

"We could just practice together?" Albus suggested, pulling her out of her thoughts. "You know, like some inter-house unity thing."

The Gryffindors raised an eyebrow. "It's a nice thought, little brother, but we all know that wouldn't end well." James said.

Scorpius nodded in agreement but Teddy furrowed his brows. "That's actually not a bad idea." Myrna looked to her captain. "I'm serious," Teddy continued. "We could do a practice game. That way, we both get our practice in and we get a feel for how our game will be next month." The Slytherin team discussed it amongst themselves for a moment before agreeing.

"Claire!" Myrna called her best friend. Claire Zabini had been reading in the courtyard during the encounter between the two teams and was now walking to Myrna. "Yes, darling?" the Ravenclaw asked. She always used terms of endearment when addressing her friends. It was a little characteristic she had picked up from her father who always referred to Luna as his love or darling.

"I hate to take you away from your reading but could you possibly keep score for us please?" Myrna asked.

"Sure, love," Claire replied happily. She linked her arm with Myrna's as they all walked to the pitch. When they reached the field, Claire left the group to go into the stands where the announcer always stood during the games. She set up the scoreboard and then blew a whistle to signal the beginning of the game.

Immediately all the players took off from the ground, Myrna and Scorpius, higher than anyone else as they searched for the snitch. The game had been going for about half an hour with both teams tied when Myrna noticed a few new additions to the stands. Gemma, Ezra, Lily, Monty, and a few other students were sitting in the stands watching the two teams practice. Myrna got Scorpius' attention and nodded to their two younger siblings. Ezra waved to Scorpius who waved back but was suddenly distracted by his sister flying by him towards a small gold object.

"Myrna!" He yelled in frustration as he followed her. The two siblings flew around the pitch for a few minutes but lost the snitch shortly after. Scorpius grumbled to himself about sneaky sisters after they got back to the top of the pitch. It would be another ten minutes before they found the snitch again. Unfortunately, they saw it at the same time and took off after it only to get too close to the ground and crash into each other causing them both to fall to the ground.

Both siblings groaned at the impact. "Scorp, get off! You're crushing me!"

"I'm trying!" he grunted. Scorpius pushed himself off his sister and rolled onto the ground, groaning at the bruises he was sure he would have by tomorrow morning. Myrna was too busy catching her breath to realize that there was something in her hand. When she felt something move, she lifted her hand to find two small wings sticking out. She opened her hand more to find that she had somehow caught the snitch before she and Scorpius crashed. She whooped in victory and raised the snitch in the air for her team to see.

Claire called the game 230-80 in Gryffindor's favor. Both teams flew to the ground to help their seekers off the ground. Myrna groaned and rubbed her backside as she shook the grass out of her hair. She looked to her brother who was regaining his balance. "You okay, Scorp?"

He nodded. "You?"

She nodded and outstretched her hand. "Good game."

He shook her hand. "You too."

The rest of the team shook and praised each other on a good practice game as they walked back to the locker room to change and put their gear away. Myrna stayed on the field to put the balls back into the case before taking them to the storage room. She sensed a presence behind her before he had even spoken. "Need some help?" Bass asked.

She looked up to him. He looked how she felt: sweaty, tired, and ready for a long shower. But somehow still cute. _Stop that!_ she berated herself. Smiling gratefully, she nodded. "Sure."

Bass put the quaffle away, locked the case up and helped her carry it back to the storage room. He waited as she locked the door to the unit when they were done and then walked with her back to the locker rooms. She chuckled as his dirty blonde hair fell into his eyes multiple times and he kept pushing it out of his face. "You look like you could use a haircut, Bass."

He huffed. "Don't you start. Mum's been on me about it for months. She nearly body-bound me and took me to a barber's shop before school started but I managed to have it grow back a little bit the day after. I thought she was going to shave my head."

Myrna laughed. "Now _that_ would be an interesting sight to see."

He shook his head vigorously. "No! I would not look good bald! Trust me, I've seen pictures of my uncle Antonio who went bald. It was terrible! I had nightmares about it for a week!"

Myrna tried to hold back her laughter but couldn't and doubled over as she tried to gain her breath back. Bass frowned. "I'm so glad you're amused."

"Well," she giggled as she regained her composure, "it is a pretty funny visual."

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. Myrna chuckled and patted his shoulder as she started to walk away. "Hey, Myrna, hold on a second," Bass said.

She turned back towards him and looked at him expectantly. "I was wondering if you could help me with a paper I have to write for Charms? I'm having trouble starting my thesis."

She nodded and smiled. "Sure." He smiled and thanked her. They stood there for a moment, waiting for the other speak again.

"You know, Bass, you're not so bad when you're not being an obnoxious prat." Myrna joked.

Bass chuckled. "I have been told that before."

"Well, clearly it needed to be said again."

He rolled his eyes and brushed a loose piece of hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered on her skin, sending a chill down her spine, despite the warm October air. She looked into his hazel eyes and gave him a small smile. He returned the gesture. Myrna felt her stomach flip as she continued to look at him; he was looking at her in a way he never had before. Before she could ask anything, he closed the distance between them and kissed her.

Myrna had heard of kisses that made your stomach flip and make you forget everything else around you. The only proof she had ever seen of such a thing was whenever her parents kissed. Her mother would always look at her father with adoration whenever he pulled away and she always seemed to get the breath knocked out of her. Now she knew why.

Everything around her seemed to fade away and the only thing she could focus on were the lips that were on hers. She wrapped her arms around Bass' neck and pulled him closer, not once breaking the kiss. Bass wrapped one arm around her waist and caressed her face with the other. Only when air was absolutely necessary did they break apart. He rested his forehead against hers, keeping his eyes closed as his breathing slowed. Myrna's heart was beating so rapidly, she was surprised he couldn't feel it. Her eyes fluttered open to look at him and found him staring back. He cleared his throat and stood back putting some space between them. Myrna couldn't help but frown at the warmth that was now gone.

"I- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that without asking you first-" Bass began.

"No, don't," she interrupted him. "Don't apologize."

He gave her a small smile which she returned. She cleared her throat. "Well, I'm going to go change. I-is Friday okay to work on your paper?"

He nodded. She bit her lip. "Great, see you then." Myrna hesitated for a moment before turning around and walking to the locker room to shower and contemplate what had just happened leaving Bass alone on the field unaware that Scorpius and Claire had witnessed the whole thing.

* * *

Myrna was sitting with Claire (Albus was writing a paper in the library) in the Ravenclaw common room relaxing after a long day and trying not to think about her kiss with Sebastian last week and her promise to help him with his paper tomorrow night. She was sitting on the floor in front of the couch Claire was on who was braiding her hair. The two friends had remained relatively silent for the time they were together both thinking about last Saturday for different reasons.

As the common room emptied, the silence between the two was starting to become stifling. They had been friends for so long that silences usually never bothered them but this time they were both itching to speak. Claire finished Myrna's braid, took a deep breath, and spoke. "So, how's Bass?"

Myrna tensed up slightly and her heart started to beat more rapidly. "What do you mean?" she asked, joining her best friend on the couch.

Claire shrugged. "I don't know. You two have hardly argued this week and you keep looking at each other out of the corners of your eyes. I was just wondering if something happened between you two."

The blonde furrowed her brows. "Like what?"

"Oh you know, like maybe he kissed you after Quidditch practice last Saturday?"

Myrna's eyes widened. "W- what?" was all she managed to get out. Claire resisted the urge to smirk. "How- how do you know about that?"

"Your brother and I might have seen it."

"WHAT?!"

"Shh!" Claire put a finger over Myrna's lips to quiet her and made sure that no one was coming back to the common room before continuing her explanation. "Scorp and I waited for you guys after practice but you never showed so we went to look for you and saw you two talking. Then we saw him kiss you. Scorp went into protective brother mode and almost stormed over to you two but I yanked him back into the shadows and let you two have your moment. After you split up, he walked off to Hagrid's and I met you outside the pitch."

Myrna sighed. "Crap. You think he's talked to Bass?"

Claire shrugged. "It wouldn't surprise me if he has. It's not like your brother to just let something slide. Especially something like that."

Myrna groaned and covered her face with her hands. "What am I going to do?"

"I think the real question is what do you _want_ to do?"

"What do you mean?" Myrna asked, looking up from her hands.

"Do you like him?"

She thought about it for a moment. "He's annoying, obnoxious, picks fights for no apparent reason, and wreaks more havoc with my brother, James, and Ben than my mum, Uncle Harry, and Uncle Ron did _combined_." Claire snorted and Myrna took a deep breath before continuing. "But… he's always been really protective of me and the twins, he can be really sweet when he wants to be, and he's actually pretty smart too. When we're not arguing, I really like talking to him. He always has something interesting to say and I'm never bored. And… and then that kiss. Claire, I've never felt anything like I felt when he kissed me. It felt like everything around me just vanished and the only thing I could think about was that I didn't want it to end. It was… magical." She giggled. "And I don't mean that to be a pun, it's just the only word I can think of to describe it."

Claire analyzed her best friend. "You never answered my question: do you like him?"

A small smile appeared on Myrna's lips. "Yes. Yes, I think I do. I think I have for a while." She sighed. "That doesn't mean I know what to do."

"I'll tell you what: go to the library with him tomorrow and help him with his paper. I'm not saying anything will happen, but if it does, follow your heart. If your heart says to embrace it, then do so but if you feel uncomfortable, tell him. You know he won't do anything that makes you uncomfortable. Not unless he wants to feel the wrath of your sister, _both_ of your brothers, your father, _and_ your mother which I highly doubt."

Myrna chuckled. "Okay, I can do that." She smiled at her best friend. "Where would I be without you?"

"Terribly lost," Claire winked.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Slytherin common room, the second generation Marauders were discussing their latest prank (setting free a bunch of Pygmy Puffs in the Great Hall courtesy of George Weasley) when Scorpius turned his attention to his best friend. "So, Bass," he began.

"Hmm?" Bass asked, distracted, still thinking about his kiss with Myrna.

"What do you think about my sister?"

Bass froze momentarily but quickly recovered. "Gemma?" he replied, trying to get the attention away from the sister he knew Scorpius was referring to. "I think she's adorable. Why? You still concerned about her being in Hufflepuff?"

Scorpius shook his head. "No, Gemma's happy in her house and I know she'll do great there. But that's not the sister I'm talking about."

Bass tried not to gulp. "Oh, Myrna?" he said, trying to act nonchalant while his heart was pounding. James and Ben were now watching the two carefully as they realized something was going on between the two Slytherins. "She's a bit of a spitfire," Bass said.

"Anything else?" Scorpius asked, raising an eyebrow.

"N-no. Why?"

He shrugged. "Just wondering. You know, I'm just trying to figure out why you kissed her after the practice game last Saturday."

"You did what?!" James and Ben asked at the same time.

"Look, Scorp, I can explain," Bass began.

"Please do," Scorpius said, his face unreadable, a trait he had picked up from his father.

Bass struggled for words. "Okay, so maybe I can't but all I know is that since the beginning of this year, all I have wanted to do is spend time with her and get to know her as a person, not as the girl I had seen as my little sister since I was a kid. She's always been this girl who is scary smart, fiercely protective of her family, and kicks ass at Quidditch and… I can't explain it. I just… I want to be able to share that kind of stuff with her. I want to be able to have intellectual conversations with her and I want to be able to cheer her on at Quidditch games but not just as her brother's best friend. I want to be a part of her life as _more_ than just a brotherly figure. I probably went about it the wrong way when I kissed her, but, with your permission, of course, I'd like to see if these feelings I have can grow into something. If not, I totally get it and I'll back off."

Ben and James watched Scorpius carefully as he remained expressionless. Bass tried to hide his nervousness but was struggling as his rapidly beating heart was making it difficult to breath. Finally, Scorpius spoke. "Well, I'm not crazy about the idea of my sister dating, but I know that she would do what she wanted whether or not I approved anyway. But if she _is_ going to date someone, I'd rather it be someone I know and trust rather than a complete stranger. So, yes, you have my permission to date my sister."

Bass' eyes lit up. "Really?"

Scorpius nodded. "Really. But know that if you hurt her in _any_ way, you'll have to deal with me, Ezra, Gemma, my dad _and_ my mother. You know that."

"Us too!" James piped in. "Myrna's like a sister to both of us so you know we'll come after you too." Ben nodded in agreement.

Bass looked to Scorpius. "I won't hurt her, Scorp. Not intentionally at least."

Scorpius seemed satisfied and nodded. "I'm gonna hold you to that, Bass."

* * *

 ** _P.S. Okay, so I need to say something._**

 ** _There is a fellow author that I follow (I'm not going to name names) who is a very talented writer and I love reading her stories. With her most recent story, she's been and I quote "holding chapters hostage" (a reviewers words) in exchange for reviews. She had said that she has a lot on her plate (she's writing like four stories at once which deserves major props alone) and her most recent story will only receive high priority if people review. Some people seem to not agree with that idea and have continuously attacked her for requesting that readers review in order to get a new chapter._**

 ** _Guys, if you've ever written a story for FF, Archive of Our Own, or whatever other fanfic writing websites there are, you understand just how important reviews are to you. The second you get a review, you get excited because you think "Yay! Someone reviewed!" Reviews make a writer's day and to go and bash on a story that someone has worked hours/days/months/years on can feel like someone is crushing you. I'm not gonna lie, I get nervous whenever I see a review alert sometimes because I'm worried that someone is going to give me shit for something i've worked my butt off to write._** ** _Constructive criticism is one thing but to be a complete jerk and rip apart a story is just wrong._**

 ** _DO NOT EVER tell a writer that asking for reviews is childish or stupid or whatever. We write these stories for ourselves and for YOU and if you have the audacity to complain because we are asking/requesting/"holding hostage" reviews, just know that YOU are a jerk. You don't like that a writer is asking for something you're too lazy to take five minutes to do, you can get your ass off our page(s) right now because we're not going to stand for that crap. We don't deserve it._**

 ** _Please be considerate when reviewing guys. It really means a lot to us that you like our stories and if we want reviews in exchange for updates, don't complain. Just do it. It takes five minutes, guys, seriously._**

 ** _You all have been such wonderful readers/followers and I'm very thankful that i have not had a problem like this with you guys but it's not fair that other authors are. Please be respectful guys. This is supposed to be fun and if you continue to attack us for something as simple as asking for a review, it no longer becomes fun. Don't make it less fun, guys. Make us look forward to reviews. Please._**

 ** _Thanks for reading, guys._**

 ** _Stay Golden!_**


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: Hello lovelies! I've had a couple people tell me that they're a bit confused about the age differences between all the kids so I wanted to clear that up for you really quick: the Next Gen Marauders are all Fourth Years, the trio (Myrna, Claire, and Albus) are Third Years, and the quartet (Gemma, Ezra, Lily, and Monty) are all First Years (hence the Sorting Ceremony). Sorry about that, guys. I thought I made it clear but I forgot that you can't read my mind and automatically know what age everyone is. Oops.**_

 _ **Also, if you're still having trouble keeping track of who is who, use the list I gave you in the Epilogue of**_ **When the Day Met the Night. _I made that list specifically to help you guys out (and myself, since writing a sequel with so many original characters is easier said than done). If you have any questions regarding the story, characters, or anything, please don't be afraid to ask. I'd be happy to help you out in any way that I can._**

 ** _Tallyho!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: The Library (Part II)**

Myrna was working on Arithmancy in the library when she heard the chair across from her move. She looked up to find Bass sitting down and immediately, her pulse picked up. She took a deep breath to steady her breathing and smiled at him but quickly frowned when she realized he was avoiding eye contact with her. _Sebastian Nott nervous around me?_ she thought. _This will be fun._

"Hi Bass," she said.

"Hm? Oh, hi Minnie," he replied, distractedly and still not looking at her.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. _Boys_. "So, what's the topic for your Charms paper?" she asked.

Bass pulled a notebook and his Charms book from his bag and started sifting through the pages. "Flitwick wants us to write a paper on a particular charm so I'm going to do the Healing Charm. He wants us to create our own scenario for where the charm would be necessary and how we would use it and whatnot." He finally looked at her as he finished explaining, and his heart dropped. She looked beautiful. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun with a few strands falling around her face and her big blue eyes had a hint of silver in them, something she inherited from her father. Bass had to bite his lip to make sure his jaw didn't drop.

Myrna noticed his change in demeanor and tried not to let it affect her. She swallowed and nodded as she reached across the table and took his Charms book from him, trying to ignore the tingling sensation she got when their fingers brushed. Ignoring his piercing stare, she flipped through the chapter. Taking a deep breath to steady her pulse, she looked up at him, blue eyes meeting hazel.

"Well, I think a good example to use would be one involving Quidditch. Like that one time Uncle Harry broke his arm because that enchanted bludger was chasing him. You could write about what _not_ to do in a situation like that and what the proper charm to use would be." Despite feeling incredibly nervous, her voice didn't falter once and she managed to keep her shaking hand controlled as she gave Bass his book back.

He swallowed and nodded. "Okay, I can do that. Thanks."

She bit her lip and nodded, trying not to look disappointed. She had really hoped she and Bass could talk about last Saturday but he seemed really closed off and distant. Maybe the kiss had been a one time thing. Maybe he didn't want to see where this was going after all…

Sighing quietly, she went back to her Arithmancy and tried not to be upset. She was chewing on her lip and working on a particularly difficult problem when Bass slammed his quill down. "Okay, I can't do this anymore."

She looked up. "Do what?"

"Dance around what happened last Saturday. We have to talk about it, I _need_ to talk about it."

 _Here we go,_ she thought. Leaning back in her chair, she put her best stoic face on. "Alright, you want to talk, then talk. I'll listen."

He took a deep breath and leaned forward. "First off, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable last Saturday when I kissed you. I was out of line and I shouldn't have done that."

"You didn't make me uncomfortable," Myrna said quietly.

Bass paused for a moment as he contemplated what she said. "Oh…" he said. Clearing his throat, he continued. "Well, that leads me to my next point. I-" he faltered for a moment. "I like you, Myrna. I like you more than a friend or as a sister. I like you a lot and I want to get to know you and spend time with you and see if what I'm feeling is requited. Okay? There, I said it."

Myrna bit her lip to prevent herself from smiling but failed. His eyes lit up as she blushed. "And here, I thought that kiss was a one time thing…"

He shook his head. "Definitely not. But… I just… do you feel the same about me?"

She leaned forward and took his hands in hers. "I think you and I both know that I do, Bass. I wouldn't have kissed you back if I didn't."

The edge of his lips quirked up and he ran a hand through his hair. "I feel like a bit of an ass for holding off on talking about this for so long."

She chuckled. "Well, usually I would agree but I did the same thing. I think we needed time to think about everything and make sure that we even wanted to have this conversation." He nodded in understanding. "You know Scorpius saw us, right?" Myrna pointed out.

He nodded. "Yeah. We talked about it."

"And?"

He took a deep breath. "And he said he's okay with it."

"Say what now?" Myrna asked, furrowing her brows. "We _are_ talking about the same Scorpius right?"

Bass chuckled. "Yes. He said he's not crazy with the idea of you dating but he'd rather you be with someone that he knew and trusted rather than a complete stranger. And you will be happy to know he did warn me that if I hurt you, I'd face the wrath of your entire family _and_ James and Ben. So, I have been warned." Myrna suppressed a giggle. "So, now what?" he asked.

She entwined his fingers with hers. "Well, how do you feel about just taking this one step at a time? See where this thing that we have can go. We can get to know each other in a new way. We might have to stop arguing all the time though…"

Bass chuckled. "That might be easier said than done."

She shrugged and raised an eyebrow. "Good thing I've always loved a challenge, then."

He smirked and leaned forward to get his face closer to hers. "I suppose so," he said. Then he closed the distance between them to kiss her lightly on the lips. She smiled and kissed him back with equal tenderness. He smiled at her and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear as they pulled out of the kiss. She leaned into his hand for a moment before sitting back and picking her quill back up.

"So how's it going on your paper so far?" she asked.

He furrowed his brows. "Seriously? We just had a conversation about our relationship and _kissed_ and you're concerned about my paper?"

She smirked. "I am my mother's daughter. Now you're not getting any more kisses until you get your first draft done so less chatting, more writing."

He stared at her incredulously for a moment before shaking his head, a small smile growing on his lips. He squeezed her hand one more time before returning to his paper, thinking of her lips and her smile the entire time. They're relationship was just beginning but he knew it would be an interesting one to say the least.

Myrna said she loved challenges.

Good thing Bass did too.


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Sorry it's been such a while with updating this one, guys. I just kind of went on a bender with**_ **The Serpent, the Lioness, and the Dog** _ **and next thing I knew, it was 2am and that story was finished... See what I mean by having no self control? Anyway, now that that one is finished (the rest just needs to be posted) this one is going to get my undivided attention and I will hopefully have this finished very soon. Then school starts the 17th, so just this and**_ **The Serpent** _ **will be posted and then I have a few other ideas roaming around in my head so I might see what I can do to make those into more concrete thoughts and be able to write more stories 'cause you guys are awesome and deserve more stories! Anyway, thank you for your patience. Here's one of my favorite chapters.**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Prejudice and Honor**

Early December. The semester was starting to come to a close and everyone was starting to get into that holiday spirit. Hagrid had set up the Christmas tree earlier in the week and a light snow had fallen overnight. Myrna, Claire, and Albus were sitting in the courtyard with the next generation Marauders laughing and talking about the annual Christmas party that would be held at the Malfoys this year. Every year, a Christmas party was held to celebrate the holiday and to spend time with friends and family; this year, Draco and Hermione would be holding the party at the Manor.

While everyone was excited for various reasons about the party this year, Myrna was excited for one specific reason: Bass would be in town for Christmas this year. Every holiday, Bass and his parents would go to Quebec for Christmas to visit Greer's family and to travel the Canadian countryside. This year, however, Greer and Theo decided they wanted to stay at home for Christmas which would allow them to attend the Christmas party and allow Myrna to see Bass during Christmas. They had been dating just over a month now and had grown quite close as a couple and as friends. She had told her parents about her and Bass and Draco and Hermione had been very supportive though Draco had just sent a simple warning to Bass threatening a couple of important body parts if he hurt Myrna in any way. Needless to say, Bass was a bit nervous about seeing the Malfoys during their party but just hoped that the Malfoy patriarch wouldn't want to kill him on sight.

Myrna was currently relaxing against Bass, thinking about what she would get him for Christmas when she noticed her brother start to stare off into space. Scorpius was usually a very focused person and only zoned out when he was either exhausted or thinking about something. The pensive look on his face told her that it was the latter. "Scorp," she said.

He didn't reply. "Scorpius," she said again. Still nothing. She sat up and poked him hard in the side. He jumped and looked at her. "Hey!" he said in surprise.

"I've been trying to get your attention, bro!" she replied, exasperated.

"Oh, sorry." he said, distracted.

"You okay, mate?" Ben asked, noticing the distant look in his friend's eye. "You don't look well."

"Hm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just tired is all."

Ben and Myrna shared a glance and she pursed her lips. She stood up and gave her friends a small smile. "If you'll excuse us, guys, Scorp and I have to talk about what we're getting our parents for Christmas." She tapped Scorpius on the shoulder before wandering off a little down the hall. She didn't have to turn around to know that he would follow her. Finding an open window seat, she sat down and Scorpius sat down across from her.

"Alright, what's going on?" Myrna said.

He shrugged. "Nothing… I've just been lost in thought these past couple days I guess."

"What about?"

He shook his head and looked out the window. Myrna sighed. "Come on, Scorp, talk to me. I'm your sister, you know you can tell me anything."

He looked back at her with sad eyes and sighed. "I've been thinking about Grandpa Lucius a lot lately."

"Oh," Myrna said. She had been so wrapped up with school and her feelings for Bass this year that she had forgotten all about her grandfather. Suddenly, she felt guilty. Here she was focusing on her life when her brother was focusing on the grandfather they never met. And Draco and Narcissa had promised to tell them some stories about Lucius during the holidays. Merlin knew how they were coping right now.

Seeming to know what she was thinking, Scorpius patted her hand. "Don't beat yourself up, sis. I hadn't thought about it until a couple days ago."

Myrna nodded, feeling slightly better. "What exactly are you thinking about him?"

"What he was like, how he grew up, stuff like that." He paused for a moment. "What do you think he was like?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I mean, you've heard the stories. He didn't seem to be the best person. Mum insists that he was good despite his strong dislike of her but dad never talked about him until he died which makes me think that the stories might be true."

Scorpius sighed. "Gemma is convinced that he was a good person who just made some very poor decisions."

Myrna chuckled at her little sister. "Well, that's Gem. She believes there's good in everybody even when she has clear proof that there isn't."

"It's probably the reason why she's the peacemaker between all of us when we fight," he joked.

She smiled and shrugged. "What do you think about him?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I don't know."

"I guess we'll find out soon enough, won't we?" she said.

He nodded. "I suppose so."

She gave her brother a small smile and stood up. She reached her hand to him and he took it as he stood up. Giving her a small smile, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder but not before ruffling her hair. She huffed in frustration as he chuckled. "Thanks Minnie." She didn't have to ask to know he was thanking her for listening to him. "Anytime, Scorp." They continued to chat as they walked back to their friends.

They were less than 5 feet away when a familiar but unwelcome voice caught their attention. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Scorpion. Oh and look, his mouse sidekick. How cute." The siblings turned around to find Harrison Jenner and his bonehead minions walking towards them with an ugly sneer. Jenner was a Ravenclaw in Scorpius' year. He was around Scorp's height with dark hair and grey eyes that held a malevolent glint in them. His father, Richard Jenner, had gone to Durmstrang and unfortunately believed all the pureblood propaganda that their parents had fought so hard to destroy and had passed it onto his son. It drove his father nuts that Draco Malfoy, the poster child for blood supremacy, had not only fought to break the chain in pureblood superiority but had married a muggle-born. Sadly, Harrison Jenner was exactly what Draco Malfoy had been when he had started Hogwarts and it didn't look like there was any way of changing his views. And despite all that the Malfoy children had done to bring unity to the houses, Jenner and his minions refused to comply and consistently bullied anyone and everyone who he thought was below him.

Their friends all watched the two siblings confronting Jenner and preparing themselves in case they needed to step in. Myrna immediately tensed up as Scorpius eyes him suspiciously. "I'm nobody's sidekick, Jenner," Myrna said darkly. "You should remember that."

Jenner chuckled. "Of course you're not," he said sarcastically. He looked to Scorpius and sized him up. "So, are the rumors true?"

"What rumors?" Scorpius asked, not in the mood to play games.

Jenner smirked. "That your mother is actually working on a peace bill between muggles and wizards."

Scorpius and Myrna stiffened at the mention of their mother. It was true, Hermione was working on a peace bill that would allow the small amount of muggles that knew about the wizarding world to learn more about the wizard culture and try to encourage more knowledge about it, especially since more and more muggle-born wizards and witches were being born around the world every day. The bill would allow the parents of muggle-borns to learn about the wizard community and find solace with other muggle parents with magical children to help them cope with the change and knowledge of a new world they never knew about before. There were a lot of naysayers for the bill but Hermione was determined and had plenty of support for it. It would be presented to the Wizengamot next month.

"What's it to you?" Scorpius asked.

"Just wanted to pass the message that my father and I both agree that you should tell your mother she should give up while she can. Her bill won't pass. Your mother's kind don't belong among us anyway. She's fighting a losing battle."

"You've clearly never met our mother, then." Myrna said, proudly. "She was in Gryffindor for a reason. She never goes down without a fight and she _always_ wins her battles."

Jenner's eyes darkened. "It doesn't matter how good of a fighter she is. My father says that there's still a strong chance that the bill could be turned down so I wouldn't get your hopes up for your precious mummy."

Scorpius clenched his fists and took a step forward. "Watch it, Jenner. You're on dangerous ground."

Jenner continued to smirk which was starting to anger Scorpius. He was about to act on his anger when he felt a hand touch his arm. He looked down to see Myrna stepping between him and Jenner. "Don't, Scorp. He's not worth it. Besides, we have extra company now."

Scorpius turned around to see Gemma and Ezra standing near Claire and Albus watching their older siblings closely. Ezra had a hand on Gemma's shoulder and looked like he was holding her back from interfering with the older students. Looking at his younger siblings calmed Scorpius a little bit. He gave one last dirty look to Jenner before beginning to walk back to his friends.

"You can walk away all you want, Malfoy, but it doesn't change the facts that the bill won't pass!" Jenner said. "Be sure to tell your mudblood mother th-"

No one would know what the rest of Jenner's sentence would be as Scorpius turned back around and punched Jenner square in the jaw. Immediately, there was chaos everywhere: Claire and Albus pulled the twins back while Bass held Myrna back from attacking Jenner, James disarmed Jenner's bodyguards, and Ben tried to get Scorpius to calm down who now had his wand aimed at Jenner's throat. Jenner also had his wand raised towards Scorpius but was mildly distracted by his dislocated jaw.

"Scorp, don't. He's not worth it." Ben reasoned. Scorpius opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by a bellowing voice.

"Alright, that is enough!" Neville walked towards the group. "What is going on here?"

"Malfoy punched Harrison!" one of Jenner's minions said pointing to Scorpius who still hadn't lowered his wand.

"Is this true?" Neville asked Jenner.

Jenner nodded and relocated his jaw. "Yes, professor. I was just talking and suddenly Malfoy punched me!"

"Why you snivelling little coward!" Myrna screeched. Bass was starting to struggle to hold her down as she fought her way out of his arms. "You provoked him! You think you're so high and mighty just because you can taunt people and get under their skin but you go play the innocent victim card as soon as something happens to you! You're nothing but a coward, Jenner! A weak, slimy coward! Just wait 'til I get my hands on you!"

"Myrna, that's enough!" Neville bellowed. Myrna stopped fighting her way out of Bass' hold but continued to stare daggers at Jenner.

"What happened, Scorpius?" Neville asked, trying to get both sides of the story.

"He called my mother a mudblood." the Slytherin replied darkly.

Recognition filled Neville's eyes. "I see. Mr. Jenner and Mr. Malfoy, I'm going to need you to come with me to the Headmistress' office but first, Mr. Jenner, you need to go see Madam Pomfrey about that jaw. Mr. Kaminski, could you escort Mr. Jenner to the hospital wing please?" Neville asked one of Jenner's minions. He nodded furiously. "Once you're healed, Harrison, I will have Madam Pomfrey send you up to McGonagall's office. I won't stand for any delays; understand?"

Jenner nodded and glared daggers at the Malfoys once last time before his friend led him to the hospital wing. Neville looked at Scorpius. "Mr. Malfoy, if you could come with me please." Scorpius could feel his temper calming and his heartbeat slowing down. He looked to his siblings: Gemma was looking at her brother with sad eyes while Ezra was looking at him contemplatively. Myrna was no longer being held back by Bass and seemed to be leaning on him for support. She gave him a curt nod which he returned before pocketing his wand and following Neville to McGonagall's office.

The walk to the Headmistress' office was silent. Now that his temper had cooled, Scorpius could think clearly. And boy was he in shock: he had never lost his temper like that before nor had he ever punch anyone before. Sure, Jenner deserved it but oddly enough, it only felt satisfying for that one moment. He knew he should have walked away when he had the chance but Jenner had just riled him up so badly that he lost control. Now he just felt like crap and his hand hurt like hell. He'd have to go to Pomfrey later to get it patched up.

As they walked passed the gargoyle and up the spiral staircase, Neville stopped him. "Scorp, listen," he began, "I don't condone violence by any means but I have to admit, I'm proud of you."

"For punching Jenner?" Scorpius asked confused.

"For standing up for your mother. Although she wouldn't be proud of your methods, I know she'd be proud of your fierce protection of her. What you just did back there is what we all fought so hard for during the war and the fact that you just defended her proves that what the Jenners believe is dying. You, your siblings, and your friends: you guys and your acceptance of everyone is what the future is going to look like. And I'm proud of you for reinforcing that."

Scorpius smiled a little. "Thanks, Uncle Neville."

Neville smiled and ruffled Scorpius' hair. "Let me patch up that hand real quick." He healed the bruise and small cuts on Scorp's hand before leading him to McGonagall. The door opened and the Headmistress looked up. Scorpius knew that word travelled fast in the school and that it wouldn't have taken long for McGonagall to have gotten word about what happened. She gave Scorpius a knowing look. "Thank you, Professor. I can take it from here."

Neville nodded and closed the door leaving Scorpius and McGonagall alone. "Have a seat, Mr. Malfoy." Scorpius complied. "I've contacted your parents. They should be here shortly." Scorpius groaned internally. Great. This day was just getting better and better. Less than a few minutes later, Draco flooed into the office. He dusted himself off and glanced to his son before shaking McGonagall's hand.

"Hello, Professor," Draco said. "Hermione sends her apologies. She won't be able to make it as she's tied up at work."

McGonagall shook her head. "That's quite alright."

Draco sat down next to Scorpius. "So, what exactly happened?"

McGonagall looked to the younger Malfoy. "I was thinking your son could explain what happened to both of us."

Scorpius gulped as the eyes of the Headmistress and his father were on him now. He took a deep breath before speaking. "I punched Harrison Jenner."

"Why?" Draco asked.

"He was spouting all this crap about how mum's bill isn't going to pass. I tried to ignore him."

"What caused you to punch him?" McGonagall asked.

Scorpius swallowed but said nothing. "Scorp," Draco said, "why did you punch him?"

The brunette sighed. "He called mum a mudblood."

Draco and McGonagall visibly tensed at the young Slytherin's confession. They exchanged a glance that Scorpius couldn't read. Draco sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. McGonagall rounded her gaze on Scorpius. "While I do not tolerate the use of that word in my school, I also do not tolerate fighting. I promise you that Mr. Jenner will receive a sound punishment but I cannot allow your actions to go unpunished either."

Scorpius nodded. "I understand."

"What kind of punishment is he going to receive?" Draco asked.

McGonagall sighed. "Scorpius will be suspended for the rest of the week, effective immediately, and will only be allowed to return so that he may have ample time to study for his end of term exams. He will also be temporarily banned from Quidditch until I see fit."

"What?" Scorpius asked.

"Scorpius," Draco warned. The brunette didn't have to look at his father to know that he needed to not make matters worse than they already were. "That seems like a fine punishment," Draco said. "Thank you, Professor. Will that be all?"

McGonagall nodded and looked to Scorpius. "You will be allowed to return to your dorm to grab whatever belongings you need before returning home. If you'd like, Mr. Malfoy, you may go with him. I suggest you make it quick, though, as Mr. Jenner will be done in the infirmary shortly."

Draco nodded and opened the door as Scorpius followed. "Scorpius," McGonagall called. The younger Malfoy looked to the Headmistress. "I know it is easier said than done, but I highly suggest you just ignore Mr. Jenner from now on. You reacting to anything he says is only fueling his fire."

Scorpius nodded. "Yes, Professor." The two Malfoys wandered down the spiral staircase in silence. As they reached the gargoyle, they were surprised to find someone waiting for them.

"Scorp!" Myrna exclaimed. "Dad?"

"Shouldn't you be in class, Minnie?" Draco asked.

Myrna looked guilty. "I may or may not be skipping. But I wanted to know what happened with Scorp!" she defended.

A small smile grew on Draco's face at his daughter. "Just don't get caught."

Myrna smiled then looked to her brother. "What happened?"

"I'm suspended for the rest of the week and temporarily banned from Quidditch until McGonagall says it's okay to play again," her brother explained.

"WHAT?!" Myrna said.

Scorpius shrugged. "Believe me, I'm not happy about it either."

"You're lucky she was so lenient on you, Scorp," Draco said. "It could have been a lot worse."

The siblings nodded in understanding. Draco patted his son's shoulder. "Go get whatever you need from your dorm. I'll stay here with your sister."

Scorpius nodded and walked down to the dungeons. Draco and Myrna sat on a nearby bench. "Are you mad at him, daddy?" Myrna asked.

Draco gave his daughter a small smile. "No, honey. I'm not happy with what he did but I'm not mad at him. To be honest, I probably would have done the same thing or worse so I can't blame him that much." Myrna chuckled. "Did the twins see it happen?" Draco asked.

Myrna sighed and nodded. "How'd they handle it?" he asked.

"Gemma was upset because she couldn't do anything to stop it. You know how she's always trying to be the peace keeper. As for Ezra, I think he was a little shell shocked. You know how he idolizes Scorp. I think seeing him lose his temper like that freaked him out for a second."

Draco nodded. "They'll be fine, though," Myrna reassured him. "I'm going to sit them down tonight and talk to them but they're pretty resilient. By the time Scorp comes back, they'll be fine."

"And what about you?"

She shrugged. "I'll try and stay out of trouble, if that's what you're asking."

Draco chuckled. "Good."

Just then, Scorpius walked towards them, his bag slung over his shoulder. Myrna smiled at her brother and hugged him. "Tell the boys not to plan any new pranks without me, okay?" he said.

She nodded. "Done."

Draco smiled and hugged his daughter and kissed her forehead. "Stay out of trouble and keep an eye on the twins, okay? I'll see you in a couple weeks. And no more ditching class."

Myrna giggled. "Yes, sir."

Draco smirked and led his son back up the spiral staircase to McGonagall's office and flooed out back to the Manor. When they arrived, Scorpius felt his stomach drop as he spotted his mother pacing back and forth in the living room. She looked up when she heard someone walk out of the fireplace. Her eyes widened. "Please don't tell me she expelled you," she said.

Draco chuckled at his wife. "No, he's just been suspended for the rest of the week. He can go back on Monday to finish studying for his finals. He's also been temporarily banned from Quidditch too."

Hermione visibly relaxed and nodded. She looked to her son. "What exactly happened?"

Scorpius took a deep breath. "I punched Harrison Jenner because he was talking crap about your bill and he called you a mudblood."

Hermione's breath hitched in her throat. Scorpius felt ashamed. He wanted to make his parent's proud and fighting was _not_ the way to do it. He was caught by surprise when his mother wrapped him in a hug. "Oh, honey."

"I'm so sorry, mum. I didn't mean to start a fight but he just made me so mad and I-"

"Shh. It's okay," Hermione comforted him. She pulled back and looked at him. "I think it's sweet that you were defending my honor and my bill. Thank you. I'm not proud of how exactly you did it but I'm still proud of you for defending me. That was very brave of you." She kissed his forehead.

Scorpius gave his mother a small smile but it fell slightly when he looked at his dad. "I'm sorry, dad."

Draco shook his head. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Scorp," he explained. "In all honesty, I probably would have done the same thing or something worse. That doesn't mean you can go start fights now but I'm proud of you for defending your mother." Draco gave his son a hug to reaffirm his statement.

Hermione smiled then looked at her watch. "Honey, we have to get back to work," she said to her husband. He nodded and ruffled his son's hair as he walked to the fireplace. Hermione kissed his forehead. "Are you going to be okay by yourself for a little while?"

Scorpius nodded. "I'm going to get started studying for finals."

"Good boy," she smirked. "We'll talk more tonight, okay?"

Scorpius nodded and watched as his parents flooed out of the house and back to their respective workplaces. Sighing, he shifted his bag on his shoulder and wandered off to the library to get started on studying for his finals. Despite the day's turn of events, he was grateful that he had managed to give Harrison Jenner a taste of what he deserves. What made it better was that his parents weren't angry with him which was his biggest fear. He sighed in relief at that fact and thanked Merlin for his parent's understanding nature.

* * *

Later that night, Draco was sitting on the window seat in his bedroom, lost in thought as he watched the snow fall. He was watching his breath form on the window when he heard shuffling from behind him. "Draco," he heard his wife say. He turned his head slightly to let her know he heard her but he didn't look at her.

Hermione came up behind him and rested her hands on his shoulders and kissed the top of his head. "You okay?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just distracted." he replied.

She shifted him around a bit and sat herself in between his legs and leaned against him. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her. They sat in silence for a few moments. "What are you thinking about?" she finally asked.

Draco sighed but didn't respond. "Honey, talk to me," Hermione encouraged. "What's going on in that wonderful brain of yours?"

He smiled slightly. "I was just thinking about that Jenner boy."

"Oh? What about him?"

Draco sighed. "I just… I don't understand how, despite everything that we fought for in the war, there are still people out there in the world who don't believe that muggle-borns don't belong among us. I mean, I know I wasn't perfect by any means but I worked hard to redeem myself and I fought with the Order and I'm married to the most wonderful muggle-born witch ever and I am so proud of how far I've come and where I am. I mean, if I can do it, why can't everyone else? Why can't they see how wrong we were?"

Hermione sighed and kissed the corner of his lips. "Sadly, people are afraid of change. They're afraid of the unknown and they're convinced that if they accept it, they'll have to change who they are. They just don't understand. But one day they'll learn."

"How can you be so sure?" he asked her.

"Because you did," she smiled at him.

He smiled back at her. "Well, I did have some help," he replied nuzzling her nose.

"I just opened the door for you, Draco. You're the one who chose to walk through it." She gave him a quick peck then stood up and held her hands out for him. He stood and took them without a second thought. "Don't worry about that Jenner boy, honey. He'll learn soon enough that his beliefs are wrong. Instead, focus on happy things: like Christmas, hearing about the twins first semester at school, that new potion you've been working on. You've got a slew of other things to think about other than a teenager whose beliefs are dying." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and he wrapped his around her waist. "The important thing is that we make sure that the kids know that the Jenners are wrong and to teach them to treat those with that belief with nothing but kindness and understanding because a day will come when they may need it and our children may be the only ones who can help them."

Draco smiled down at his wife and rested his forehead against hers. "Thank you," he whispered.

"For what?"

"For being my voice of reason and easing my fears. I'd be a mess without you."

Hermione chuckled and brushed her lips against his. "I love you."

"And I love you," he replied before closing the distance between them.

Little did either know that Scorpius had heard the entire conversation. Unable to sleep, he had been wandering around the house when he heard his parents talking. He quietly returned to his room with a new resolve to treat Jenner and anyone like him with kindness, no matter how hard it was. His mother was right: the pureblood beliefs were dying and soon, Jenner would be down in the dumps. And as much as Scorpius would love to see Jenner get a full punch of karma in the face, he knew it would be better to show him a little kindness and forgiveness just like his mother had with his father. It might just change the Ravenclaw's life.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: So remember how I said that I have no self control? Yeah, I really need to work on that because I finished writing this story last night and started writing ANOTHER Dramione story a couple days ago... (I mean not that it's a bad thing but I really need to control my imagination). Anyway, My goal is to try and do daily or close to daily updates with this one and The Serpent, the Lioness, and the Dog while working on this new story that I started (it might be a little hard though 'cause school starts on Monday *sobs*). Also, follow me on Tumblr: im-hurricane-drunk (The Gemini Diaries). Sadly, the queenofpearls was already taken on Tumblr so I went with a Florence & The Machine song title (go listen to the song, it's amazing). Thanks for all the reviews and love for this story!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 7: The Aftermath**

Scorp's week at home was far more pleasant than he expected. Every day, his parents went off to work, leaving him in the house alone with Delilah appearing here and there as she puttered around the house, and every night he spent time with his parents, sharing stories and laughs for hours. During the day, he would study for his finals but by early afternoon, his brain would be fried so he'd entertain himself with something else to do. Repeatedly, he found himself outside with his broom, flying around the backyard trying to catch the snitch.

One day, he was lost in thought while in the air when a flash of blonde flew right by him. Gathering his bearings, he looked to see his father flying towards him with a smirk on his face. "You have to stay focused if you want to beat your sister, Scorp." he said.

Scorpius looked at his father's hand and saw that he was holding the snitch. He shook his head and chuckled. "I try but she's really good at distracting me, especially when the twins are involved. She'll usually point them out to me in the audience and then fly towards the snitch as I'm looking for them."

Draco tried to look guilty. "She might have gotten her tactics from me."

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Figures."

Draco laughed and released the snitch again. "Best two out of three?"

Scorpius smirked and took off towards where he last saw the snitch fly to. Scorpius had caught the snitch the second time and they were flying around the backyard trying to find it to catch it the third time when they heard a voice calling them.

"Boys!" Hermione called. "Dinner's ready!"

"Just a minute, mum!" Scorpius replied. "I have to find the snitch!"

"Oh, you mean this?" his mother replied holding up her closed hand. The father and son looked to see that Hermione was holding the snitch.

"What?!" Draco asked flying down to his wife, his son following. "How did you catch it? You don't even play Quidditch!"

Hermione giggled. "It was flying by my head and I knew you wouldn't come in until one of you caught it, so I did it for you," she said, proudly.

Draco pursed his lips and looked at his son who just shrugged. He looked back to his wife who was smirking. "You know we'll still have to finish this later."

She shrugged. "That's fine. Just come on in and eat and then you can do your last round. Scorp can't stay up too late though since he's going back to school tomorrow."

Draco nodded. "Yes, dear," he said, mockingly.

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned around back into the house. Draco and Scorpius were about to follow until Hermione's voice rang out. "Brooms stay outside!" They looked at each other with pursed lips before leaving their brooms by the backdoor and going to the kitchen to get dinner. Since it was just the three of them, they would be eating at the breakfast bar instead of at the dining table, allowing easier access to the food on the counter.

The conversation remained light throughout dinner. At one point, the course of the conversation switched to his parent's school days, which fascinated the young Slytherin. How his parents went from hating each other to being… well, his parents was astounding to, not just him, but to all the Malfoy children. The story of how their parents fell in love during war time was all the kid's favorites. That was until tonight, when Hermione shared a story that Scorpius (or any of the other kids) had not heard.

"Did I ever tell you about the time I slapped your father during our Third Year?" she said.

Draco put the dish he had been holding back into the sink and glared at his wife. "Don't you dare," he said.

Hermione smirked at her husband. Their oldest son watched the encounter with fascination. "Well, now you _have_ to tell me!" he said.

Hermione and Draco had a stare down until the latter finally conceded. "If you must," he groaned, focusing his attention to putting the leftover food away in the fridge. Hermione turned to her son with a spark in her eye. "So it all began in Care of Magical Creatures with this hippogriff named Buckbeak…" By the time the story was finished, Draco was shaking his head and chuckling while Scorpius was crying, he was laughing so hard.

"I can't believe she actually slapped you!" Scorpius said, finally able to make a coherent sentence without cracking up into laughter again.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we get it. I was a royal pain in the ass as a kid. I made up for it though!"

Hermione chuckled and wrapped her arms around her husband's mid-section. "It took you long enough, but yes, you did," she smiled up at him before reaching up on her toes to kiss him.

"Blegh!" Scorpius gagged causing his parents to laugh. Hermione looked at the clock on the wall. "Oh crap, it's after ten. Sorry boys, you'll have to raincheck on that last round."

"Awe, mum! Really?" Scorpius asked.

Hermione chuckled and nodded. "Yes, honey. You have to get to bed so that you're not exhausted when you return to school tomorrow. You can have your rematch when you get back for Christmas, okay?"

Scorpius huffed in defeat. "Okay." Getting up, he kissed his mom on the cheek and hugged his dad before wandering off to his room to finish packing to go back to school as Hermione and Draco wandered back to their room, arms linked.

As Hermione was brushing her teeth, Draco came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I really am sorry for being such a jackass to you in school. I was an ignorant kid who didn't know any better."

Hermione rinsed out her mouth before facing her husband and placing her hands on his chest. "I forgave you a long time ago, Draco. You need to stop blaming yourself."

"I know, I just sometimes get flashbacks of how horrible I was to you and I feel bad. I just wish I could make it up to you."

"You already have, my love. You've loved me in every way, you take care of me, you make me feel safe and happy and, most importantly, loved. And you're a wonderful father to our four beautiful children. You've been making it up to me ever since we met at that cafe during the war. And I'm so grateful for that and even more grateful for you. Please stop beating yourself up about the past and just focus on what we have right now. Please."

He rested his forehead against hers. "Okay, I promise, as of right now, I release any past regrets and I will only focus on you and our wonderful children from now on."

Hermione smiled and nuzzled her nose with his. "I love you, you know."

"I know," he replied before picking her up bridal style and taking her back to their bedroom.

* * *

Scorpius and Draco met with McGonagall first thing in the morning as they arrived at the school. McGonagall made Scorpius promise that he would ignore Jenner's antagonizing comments to the best of his ability, for she would not stand any more fighting in her school. She also told him that Jenner had been reprimanded and warned that if he said such comments, he would be taken right back to the Headmistress' office immediately. Scorpius agreed to McGonagall's terms and was released back into the school to attend his classes while Draco returned to work.

Being back in the familiar halls of his school was a relief for Scorpius. He didn't mind being at home with his parents but he didn't like how empty it felt without his siblings there so being back behind the school walls with chattering coming from all angles brought him back to life. He was lost in thought, walking to his first class of the day when he heard someone calling his name. "Scorp!"

He turned around to see his youngest sister running towards him with a large grin on her face. "Gem!" he yelled as she ran into his open arms. She giggled as her oldest brother spun her around in his embrace. When he put her down, he smiled at her. "How are you?" he asked.

"I'm good," she smiled. "How are you? Is everything okay? Mum wouldn't tell us much in her letters while you were with them so we've all been wondering how they reacted."

Scorpius sighed and began to walk to class with Gemma following closely. "They weren't mad but they weren't happy with my actions either. But they were proud of me for defending mum's honor, just not necessarily the way that I did it."

Gemma nodded in understanding. "Fair enough. If it makes you feel better though, you did some serious damage to Jenner's jaw. He had to get it completely realigned and is currently walking around with a bandage on his head to keep it in place. I feel bad for saying it, but it's actually kind of funny. Though, if you ask me, he deserved far worse."

Scorpius paused and looked at his sister in disbelief. Gemma didn't say anything bad about anyone so hearing that come out of her mouth was… well, not natural. He studied her for a moment. "Gemma, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were a Slytherin."

She shrugged. "Well, I am my father's daughter."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you and Myrna both," he muttered.

The youngest Malfoy chuckled and patted her brother's arm. "How are you, Scorp? Really?"

He smiled at her. "I'm fine, Gem, I promise. How are you? You looked a little shaken after I punched that idiot."

Gemma rolled her eyes and ignored her brother's comment. "It surprised me but I'm fine. Ezra is too. We just didn't really see that coming but we're on your side and we both agreed that we would have done the same."

Scorpius chuckled. Gemma wouldn't hurt a fly and Ezra liked to use his words to stop conflicts rather than his actions so seeing them get into a fight would have been interesting to see. Not that he wanted his siblings fighting anyone. "Well, as much as I'd love to see that, you and Ezra need to avoid getting into any fights, okay? Leave the dirty work to me and Myrna."

Gemma chuckled. "Right. I'll be sure to explain that to Mum and Dad if you ever get into another fight."

Scorpius smiled and ruffled his sister's hair causing her to huff in frustration. "See you later, Gem," he said as he walked into his Transfiguration class. Gemma stuck her tongue out at her oldest brother before skipping down the hall to get to her own class.

As soon as Scorpius walked in, he was accosted by his three best friends. "We were wondering when you were coming back, mate!" James said. "What happened? How did your parents react?"

Scorpius shrugged and sat at his usual spot next to Ben. "Fine. They weren't happy but they weren't angry either."

James seemed disappointed. "Really? That's all? No 'you're grounded for the next century' or anything like that?"

The Slytherin furrowed his brows. "You _have_ met my parents right? You know they're never that dramatic."

James shrugged. "You never know." Scorpius laughed and shook his head but didn't respond as the professor walked into the room and started class.

The rest of his classes went smoothly. He didn't have any classes with Jenner until the next day, which was a relief. He did catch a glimpse of the Ravenclaw during lunch, however, and he had to hide his face behind a book to hide his laughter. His sisters and brother accosted him shortly after, though, and asked him about his week at home. Scorpius recounted his week with their parents (including the story of Hermione slapping Draco) and then caught up with them over everything he missed before going to his final classes.

Due to the bandage on his head, Jenner couldn't speak well, which inhibited his ability to make any snarky remarks to Scorpius. The Slytherin was tempted to rile the Ravenclaw up but decided against it, remembering his promise to himself about treating Jenner with kindness like his parents wanted. He nodded to Jenner before sitting down, hiding his smirk at Jenner's confused expression.

It continued like that throughout the rest of the month. Jenner continued to look Scorpius with a confused expression every time he nodded at him but he no longer tried to rile him up. Myrna and Ezra had thought that he had gone insane when he explained his reasoning of being kind to Jenner but Gemma had jumped right on board and gave the Ravenclaw a bright smile every time she saw him in the hallway. Myrna and Ezra still weren't completely warm to the idea and just ignored him whenever they saw him. The boys felt the same. Scorpius wasn't deterred though; he knew that with enough time Jenner would stop tormenting people altogether and eventually see that his views were wrong. He knew it wouldn't happen overnight but it would eventually. So, with Gemma's full support, he continued to be kind to the Ravenclaw, even if it just consisted of nodding at him whenever they passed. Hey, it would take time for the Slytherin to change his views too.

When Jenner finally returned the nod on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at the beginning of Christmas break, Scorpius knew that he was doing the right thing.


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: Sorry for the reviewer who was looking forward to the train ride home; I completely skipped that and instead jumped to Christmas Eve instead. But I really like this chapter and I hope that it'll make up for the missing train ride you wanted. Please keep the reviews coming!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Christmas at the Malfoys**

It was Christmas Eve and Malfoy Manor was buzzing with activity. Delilah was puttering around working on the finishing touches for the party while everyone else was getting ready. Ezra and Scorpius were chasing a snitch around Scorp's room, putting off getting dressed until the last minute while the girls were helping each other get ready. Myrna was working on Gemma's hair while the latter talked animatedly about Christmas tomorrow. The former pulled her sister's hair back into a sleek ponytail with a few strands left out to frame her face. They then switched places and Gemma got to work on her older sister's hair. She pulled it back into a half updo with her bangs falling just above her eyes. When she finished, Gemma walked off to get dressed while Myrna put just a touch of makeup on (Gemma didn't particularly care for it) before putting her dress on as well. Gemma would be wearing a dark blue short sleeved dress with a flared skirt while Myrna was wearing a navy sleeveless dress with a small v-neck and a pleated skirt.

Once the girls were dressed, they split up, Gemma going to help Delilah and Myrna to visit her parents. The latter stopped at her parent's door and smiled to herself as she heard laughing coming from the other side. She knocked quietly. "Come in," she heard her father say.

Myrna opened the door to find her mother sitting at her dressing table and her father kissing the top of her head with his hands on her shoulders. She smiled at the sight. Draco looked up and looked at his eldest daughter. "You look beautiful, Minnie," he said with a smile.

"Thanks dad." She blushed and gave him small smile. He kissed her forehead before walking into the closet to look for something. Myrna looked back to her mother and her expression changed to a look of awe when she saw what she was wearing. "Wow, mum, you look amazing." Hermione was wearing a black satin three-quarter sleeve dress that stopped just below her knees and her hair was pulled back into a sleek bun with a few curls falling around her face. Her ever present locket was resting on her chest, completing the look. She gave her daughter a warm smile and a hug. "Thank you, honey. You look quite beautiful yourself."

Myrna was about to reply when her father came out of the closet with a confused look on his face while holding two ties. "Honey, can you help me? I can't figure out which one to wear." Hermione chuckled and walked to her husband, taking the ties from him. She switched the ties back and forth against Draco's shirt trying to determine which would work better while Myrna sat in one of the chairs by the french doors. "What do you think, Minnie?" her mother asked.

Myrna shrugged. "Personally, I'm not a fan of either since both are kinda boring."

Her parents looked at her with furrowed brows. Draco smirked and chuckled while Hermione just rolled her eyes and muttered to her husband "She gets that from _your_ side of the family," causing him to bust out into laughter. Myrna smirked.

"You know what you _could_ do instead of a tie?" she began.

"I'm afraid to ask," Draco replied, knowing full well where his daughter was going with this.

"Bowtie," she simply said. Draco visibly tensed and Hermione started laughing. "What _is_ it with you and bowties?" Draco asked.

She shrugged. "Bowties are cool."

Her father's eyes widened in disbelief before taking the ties from his still laughing wife and throwing them back into the closet. "Forget it, I give up. I'll just wear the shirt."

Hermione, who had finally managed to calm down, nodded in agreement. "You still look handsome without the tie, love," she said, pecking him on the cheek. He smiled at her and winked at Myrna. "I should probably go check on the boys."

Hermione nodded and chuckled. "Might be a good idea." Draco smiled and kissed her forehead before walking out of the room leaving the two women alone. When the door closed, Hermione rounded her gaze to her eldest daughter. Myrna perked up at her mother's stare and furrowed her brows as her mother nodded for her to sit at her dressing table but she complied nonetheless. Hermione opened one of the drawers and pulled out a long black velvet box. Myrna cocked her head in curiosity. "What's that?"

"An early Christmas present," Hermione replied simply before opening the box. Myrna gasped when she saw what was inside. It was a string of freshwater white pearls with a gold clasp. Hermione smiled at her daughter's expression. "These were my grandmother's. My mum gave them to me for my sixteenth birthday. I was going to wait until you were sixteen as well but I decided to give them to you early. The Malfoy family has been around for generations so I knew that you'd have more than enough heirlooms from them but there's only a couple of heirlooms from the Granger side of the family and this is one of them. This ring is another one." Hermione held out her hand for her daughter to see the ring on her finger. It had a simple gold band with a beautiful ruby in the middle. Elegant yet simple; very fitting for the former Gryffindor.

"That's beautiful. And I love the pearls, mum, they're beautiful."

Hermione smiled. "I'm glad you like them." She lifted the pearls from the box and placed it around her daughter's neck. Her smile grew as she admired her daughter in the mirror. Myrna returned the smile and timidly touched the pearls, as if she were afraid they would break at the touch. Her smile fell as she thought of something. "So, if you have the ring and I have the pearls, what do Gemma and the boys get?"

Hermione leaned against the dressing table, facing her daughter. "When Gemma is around your age, she will be getting Grandma Granger's wristwatch. Scorpius already got his gift from Grandpa Granger: a ring with his initials engraved into it and his birthstone, a diamond. Ezra will get his gift when Gem does: Grandpa Granger's pocketwatch. And then that's it for Granger heirlooms. The rest belong to your dad's side of the family."

Myrna nodded. "I didn't even know that the Granger side had that much saved."

"Grandma and Grandpa only found it recently when they were cleaning out the vault at the bank. They had me come over to their house and pick anything that I wanted for myself or for you guys. There were a few other things there but I chose the stuff with the most sentimental value. I figured it would mean a lot to you guys."

Myrna nodded and smiled. "It does. I promise, I'll take good care of it."

Hermione smiled and kissed her temple. "I know you will. Now come on, we should make sure everything is set up before everyone else gets here." They walked out of the bedroom together, arm in arm into the room where the party would be held.

As they walked into the living room, they heard hysterical laughter coming from Gemma. They looked to each other in confusion before seeing what was so funny. Gemma was doubled over in laughter and Draco was standing with one arm crossed and the other holding his head in exasperation while Scorpius and Ezra were standing in the center of the living room looking very confused. Both boys looked like a Seamus Finnegan flashback from the past: their faces were covered in black soot and their hair was standing up at odd angles. Myrna took one look at her brothers before cracking up into laughter while Hermione just furrowed her brows between her husband and her sons. Draco just shrugged and shook his head as if to say _Don't ask._

She did anyway. "What in Merlin's name happened?"

The boys had the decency to look ashamed. "We were using sparks to light the candles when we accidentally collided our wands," Scorpius explained. "When they hit, it caused a mini explosion."

Hermione chuckled and shook her head. She was about to walk over to clean up her sons when she heard the familiar voice of her mother-in-law. "Well, it's a good thing you two are in different years. I can't imagine the messes you would make together in Potions or Charms."

"Granny!" Gemma exclaimed running to hug her paternal grandmother. Regaining her composure, Myrna walked over and gave her grandmother a hug and kiss which the elder woman returned before rounding her gaze on her two grandsons once again. Hermione smiled at Narcissa before cleaning up the boys' appearances with a flick of her wand. Immediately, Scorpius' curly hair returned as did Ezra's platinum locks. Their clothes were also cleaned and looked good as new. Ezra laughed nervously and looked to his mother. "Thanks, mum."

She smirked and kissed the top of his head, then did the same to Scorpius. "No more using sparks to light the candles, alright? The last thing we need is another explosion that could potentially hurt someone."

"Yes ma'am," the boys agreed before walking over to Narcissa to greet their grandmother.

Hermione shook her head at her sons then walked over to her husband. " _Your_ sons, Draco Malfoy," she began.

" _My_ sons?" he asked incredulously. "Last I checked, they were _your_ sons too."

"They are, but they're yours when they start causing trouble."

"Says the brains of the Golden Trio," Draco joked. Hermione scrunched her nose at him but chuckled anyway. He smirked then leaned in to kiss her. She smiled into the kiss but they pulled out quickly as they heard the voice of their eldest son. "Blegh! Get a room!" Scorpius exclaimed.

Hermione blushed and Draco laughed then winked at his son. "Well, if you insist," he said.

"Wait, what? Argh! Draco!" Hermione exclaimed as Draco picked her up bridal style causing his children to laugh. "Put me down!"

"I'd listen to her if I were you, Malfoy," another familiar voice said. "You do _not_ want to be at the end of one of her slaps. Not fun."

Draco turned around to face Harry and Ginny (who was struggling not to laugh), still holding Hermione. "In case you forgot, Potter, I was at the end of a very powerful and painful slap back in Third Year. I think I'm more than aware of how strong she is."

" _She_ is right here!" Hermione exclaimed. "Now would you _please_ put me down before both of you get a reminder?"

Draco didn't need to be asked twice before he put his wife back on her feet. She stuck her tongue out at him before walking over to Ginny, linking their arms and walking out of the room, their children (still laughing) and Harry following. Narcissa smirked at her son and linked her arm with his as they walked into the kitchen where everyone had seemed to congregate.

"Did I ever tell you why I liked Hermione?" she said.

Draco thought for a moment. "You dropped a few hints here and there but you never outright said why."

"Because she keeps you in line and she makes you happy," Narcissa replied, watching her daughter-in-law greet Neville, his wife Hannah, and their new baby Charlotte happily. Draco smiled watching her coo over the infant and Narcissa chuckled. "She's an excellent mother, a wonderful wife to you, she doesn't take any of your crap," Draco furrowed his brows at his mother, "and she saved your life. She is everything I could have wanted for you in not just a wife but a life partner. There is no doubt in my mind that the universe knew what it was doing when it made you two cross paths."

Draco smiled. "Thanks, mum."

Narcissa smiled at her son and kissed his cheek before walking off to Andromeda who had just walked in. Blaise and Luna arrived next and Claire immediately flew from her mother's side to Albus and Myrna. The trio began to chat animatedly causing Draco and Blaise to laugh. "Remind you of old times?" Blaise said.

Draco nodded. "Kind of, yeah. We weren't nearly as loud though." Myrna heard her father's comment and stuck her tongue out at him. There was a chuckle on the other side of Draco. "I think she got her cheek from you, Drake," Pansy said.

Draco chuckled. "She got her Quidditch tactics from me too."

"Oh, you mean taunting Potter and completely missing the snitch?" Theo joked as he walked up to them.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Thankfully, no. I meant that she distracts Scorp before diving for the snitch."

Theo thought about it for a moment. "At least she can actually catch the snitch," he muttered.

"Shut up, Theo," Draco joked.

Pansy smiled at the interaction and chuckled. Theo looked at her. "What?"

She shook her head. "Nothing; I just miss you guys. I live in a house full of Gryffindors so being around Slytherins again is nice."

Draco smirked and rolled his eyes. "Don't get all sappy on me now, Pans."

She raised an eyebrow and looked at Blaise briefly. "Sappy? I'll give you sappy. Come here!"

Draco immediately backed off. "No way; I know what you're doing and it is _not_ happening."

"Oh, come on, Drake. You know you like being hugged" she joked.

He tried to run away but Blaise blocked him and began to close in on him. Draco gulped. "Little help, here, Theo?"

Theo laughed. "No way, mate. I'm not getting involved."

"Oh yes you are," Pansy said, grabbing his arm. She pulled him into the embrace and she and Blaise trapped them in a group hug. Theo began to squirm and try to get out of it while Draco just accepted his fate and stayed unmoving. "Greer! You want to help me out here, honey?" Theo called to his wife.

Greer, who was standing next to Hermione watching the scene with amusement, laughed. "No way, Theo. You got yourself into that mess, you can get yourself out."

He glared at his wife and continued to squirm as he tried to get out of the hug. Draco glanced at Hermione, who was laughing, and sighed before relenting and wrapping his arms around Blaise and Pansy. "You realize the longer you resist her, the longer she'll hold you here, right?" Draco told Theo.

He stopped squirming and looked at Blaise who was smirking before sighing in defeat and wrapping his arms around only Pansy, causing her to break the hug with Blaise and Draco, and picked her up causing her to squeal in laughter. "Oi, Nott!" they heard Ron yell as he put Pansy back down on the ground. "No getting touchy-feely with my wife!"

"I've known her longer, Weasley!" Theo replied.

"Yeah but I married and had two kids with her!"

"Ladies, ladies, it's okay! You're both pretty!" Pansy said, smirking between her husband and childhood friend. Hermione and Greer busted out into uncontrollable laughter at Pansy's comment and were leaning on each other to keep from falling over. Theo scrunched his nose at his wife who just laughed harder. Myrna and Sebastian watched their mothers with concern. "Aunt Pansy," Myrna said, "I think you broke our mum's!"

Pansy shrugged. "Sorry, sweetie."

Hermione and Greer finally managed to stop laughing and fanned themselves with their hands as they calmed down, however, a few giggles slipped through here and there. Draco shook his head and embraced his wife while Theo kissed Greer's temple before going to Bass and embarrassing him in front of his girlfriend.

The Christmas party was a hit. Everyone was in high spirits all throughout the night and more than once were people laughing so hard, they were in tears. There was some scandal as Scorpius and Claire got stuck under an enchanted mistletoe and both were blushing profusely after they had to kiss to get out of it. Myrna couldn't stop giggling at the sight and continued to give her brother grief about it the entire night. Teddy and Victorie "accidentally" got stuck underneath the mistletoe and Teddy gave her a huge passionate kiss that cause Victorie to become breathless. Harry had to pull his godson away from the mistletoe before he and blonde ran off to a dark corner causing everyone to laugh. Bass, however, made a point to avoid the mistletoe at all costs as he worried what Draco would do if he was seen kissing Myrna. Draco made a point to reassure him, however, that the warning letter was just that: a warning. "I trust you, Bass," he had said. "I've known you since you were born and I've known your dad since we were kids. I know he wouldn't raise you to be anything less than a gentleman and I know that you wouldn't hurt Myrna. That being said, you take care of my little girl, okay? I know she can take care of herself but, like her mother, she tends to be a bit too feisty for her own good."

"I understand, Uncle Draco," Bass replied, smiling at Myrna who was dancing with Blaise. "I really do care about her and I promise, I'll do whatever I can to make sure she knows that. I'm not sure I can keep her from getting into trouble but I'll try my best."

Draco chuckled. "Just make sure it's nothing that would get her expelled. Hermione would freak."

Bass laughed. "Yes sir." Draco ruffled his hair before walking off to his youngest daughter and began dancing with her. Greer came up to Bass after Draco walked away and pulled him out into the center of the room and began dancing with him too.

The party didn't end until the early hours of the morning, and as soon as all the guests left (excluding Narcissa and Andromeda, who would be spending Christmas at the manor) everyone went straight to bed. Or so they thought.

Hermione had fallen right asleep but Draco had been a bit restless, so he went to the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea, not wanting to bother Delilah who had already gone to bed for the night. Turns out he wasn't the only one with that idea, however. When he walked in, he found Gemma eating a slice of leftover pie from the party, reading a book. She froze when she saw her father.

"Hi dad," she said, her voice somewhat muffled from the bite of pie she had in her mouth.

"Hi sweetheart," Draco replied. "What are you doing up?"

She shrugged. "I couldn't sleep. You?"

"I felt a bit restless so I decided to make some tea." He filled the kettle with water and turned the burner on the stove on with his wand before grabbing a fork and sitting down next to his daughter and stealing a bite of her pie. She scrunched her nose up at him but moved the plate so it was sitting in between them while pushing her book aside. "Anything in particular keeping you from sleeping?" Draco asked.

"Not really," she replied quietly.

He looked to his daughter and saw that she seemed distracted. "Gemma, what's wrong?" he asked.

She looked up at him and sighed. "It's just… when did you know you wanted to be a Healer? I mean, when did you realize what you wanted to do with your life?"

Draco thought for a moment. "The idea of being a Healer always fascinated me but I didn't think about it for a career until during the war. Why?"

She sighed. "I just feel like I'm not doing this right. Everyone knows what they want to be and what they want to do already and I don't have a clue."

"Wait, hold on, who exactly is everybody?" Draco asked.

Her shoulders slumped. "Lily, Monty, Ez, Minnie, Scorp. I'm pretty sure Claire and the boys know what they want to do too."

"What exactly do they all want to do?"

"Lily and Monty want to be journalists, Ez wants to be a magizoologist, Minnie's going to be Minister of Magic, and Scorp wants to be a famous Quidditch player."

"Myrna wants to be Minister of Magic?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep. She has 'big plans.'" Her shoulders slumped in defeat. "Gods, I just feel like I'm doing something wrong. Everyone knows what they want to do and I'm stuck here not having a clue." She buried her face into her hands and groaned.

Draco's eyes softened at his daughter's confession. "Gemma," he said. She didn't respond. "Gemma, look at me." She complied. He brushed a curl behind her ear before speaking. "Honey, you're eleven. You don't need to have your life figured out right now. Just because your friends and siblings have an idea of what they want to do doesn't mean that that is where they will end up. For all we know, Scorp will be the journalist, Ezra will be a professor at Hogwarts, Myrna will be a Healer, and maybe _you_ , my little Gem, will be Minister of Magic." Gemma chuckled at that idea. "Don't worry about what other people are planning for their future. You don't have to have everything figured out when you exit Hogwarts. Merlin knows I didn't. You have your entire life ahead of you to figure out what you want to do with your life. Don't stress about it right now, okay? Right now, you just focus on being young, having fun, and enjoying life."

The brunette smiled. "Thanks, daddy."

He returned the smile. "Of course, monkey. Come here." He opened his arms and Gemma bounced into his embrace. He hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head. "Love you, Gem."

"Love you, daddy," she replied looking up at him and smiling. He ruffled her hair before getting up and filling a mug with tea as the kettle went off. He kissed Gemma's temple one last time before exiting the kitchen. "Don't stay up too late," he said.

"I won't," she replied, going back to her book.

Draco chuckled as he thought of his youngest daughter and her concerns. He hoped that those would be the worst of her worries. He took a couple sips of tea before crawling into bed and snuggling up next to Hermione. He smiled as he had one last thought before drifting off to sleep: No matter what career Gemma chose, she would certainly give her competitors and colleagues a run for their money. And with that, he fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.

* * *

 _ **P.S. Ten points to your respective Hogwarts house if you know what the "Bowties are cool" reference is from. No cheating.**_

 _ **Links for the girl's dresses:**_

 _ **Hermione:**_ ** _listing/183014615/vintage-1950s-dress-classic-dior (go down the page to see the dress)_**

 _ **Gemma:**_ ** _pin/ATsMsuxSSYCjKuWxxnQcOrLwaHMyo2lfrtTz0xGva92JpKnXIPbm6pA/_**

 _ **Myrna:**_ ** _.co/wedding-guest-dresses/ (Number 10)_**


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: I'm so glad you guys all liked the Christmas chapter! It means a lot. And major props to the two reviewers who got the "Bowties are cool" reference! Bravo(a)!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 9: The Truth About Lucius Malfoy**

Hermione was one of the first one's awake the next morning. She took a quick shower, dressed into an oversized sweatshirt that belonged to Draco and jeans and wandered to the living room to set everything up for opening Christmas presents. Delilah was given the day off so Hermione took the opportunity to relish the rare times that she got to do things herself. She loved the little house elf and with four children in the house, she was a saint to put up with everything those kids did but Hermione cherished the moments when she got to make her own coffee and breakfast for her family. She loved to cook and shared the kitchen with Delilah when cooking meals but doing it by herself gave her a sense of pride knowing that she was taking care of her little family by herself. Although, she had to admit, Delilah made a mean pot roast.

She hummed to herself as she walked into the kitchen and poured some freshly made coffee into a cup. She heard the soft patter of feet and smiled as she could feel the house start to wake up. "Morning," she said in a sing-song voice.

A yawn replied to her. "Morning mum."

She looked up to find Ezra scratching the back of his head as he woke up. "What are you doing up this early, Ez?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I have no idea." Hermione chuckled at her son as he poured himself some coffee as well. Out of all the Malfoy children, he was the only one that liked coffee. The rest of the kids preferred tea or hot chocolate but Ezra was always partial to coffee. Hermione assumed he got that trait from her.

"You sleep well?" she asked.

He nodded. "I had a weird dream, though."

"Oh? What about?"

"I had a dream that I had this peacock that kind of imprinted itself on me so it followed me everywhere. And I mean, _everywhere_ , even the loo!" Hermione chuckled. "Anyway, this peacock came with me to school and went with me to all my classes and sat with me at meals and everything. It was weird but everyone just kind of accepted it as if it were completely normal. And then I had to give a presentation in class and when I get up there the peacock _jumps on my head_ and just stays there for the whole of the presentation. It was bizarre."

Hermione laughed at her son. "That is a bit bizarre."

"What bugs me is: why a peacock? I mean come on, if I'm going to have an animal follow me around it needs to be something cool like a bear or a giraffe! Not a bloody peacock!"

"Language, Ez." Hermione said.

"Sorry mum," he replied.

She smirked at him. "I can understand a bear but a giraffe? Why a giraffe?"

He shrugged. "Why not? They're super tall and really relaxed! Can you imagine? I'd never have to sit in the stands for a Quidditch game ever again! I could just sit on my giraffe and watch the game from him!"

Hermione laughed at her son and ruffled his hair. "Oh Ezra, don't ever lose your wild imagination, love. I enjoy the things you come up with."

Ezra beamed at his mother. Before he could respond, however, Draco and Narcissa entered the kitchen with the rest of the Malfoy children and Andromeda following shortly after. They all ate breakfast together then everyone else got dressed while Hermione and Draco cleaned up the kitchen. As the last few members of the family showered and dressed, the Grangers arrived. After moving into the Manor, Hermione and Draco changed the wards of the house allowing the Grangers to be able to get access to the house. The first few times they had come to the Manor after the wedding, they had been amazed at it's size but now, they had grown used to it and were quite comfortable being in a magical house.

After the arrival of Hermione's parents, they all sat in the living room and began to open presents. Draco tended to spoil his children by buying them more than they probably needed but Hermione just rolled her eyes. She had given up trying to get him to stop buying so much after he had bought a Firebolt 6000 for Scorpius' fourth birthday. Most of Draco and Narcissa's gifts to the kids were extravagant items such as clothing, jewelry, and money (Narcissa) and brooms, Quidditch tickets, and the latest muggle technology (Draco). Hermione and Andromeda were a little more reasonable with their gifts, buying them books, potions ingredients (Myrna and Ezra were fascinated by the potion making process), and candy (much to the Granger's disapproval) while the Grangers just gave them anything from the muggle world since all of the kids were fascinated by it.

Hermione was particularly excited for this Christmas because of the gift she and Draco had gotten her parents. When their turn came, she could barely contain her excitement. "This is from both Draco and myself," she said, handing her parents a rolled up parchment. Her parents unrolled the document and read it, Hermione unable to control the grin on her face as their expression changed from confused to awe. "Happy retirement!" she said when they finished reading the document.

Liz looked at her daughter and son-in-law. "Is this real? I mean, this is actually the deed? To a _house_?"

Hermione nodded. "I remembered how much fun you guys had while you were in Australia so I figured now that you're retired, you can go and either live there full time or use it as a summer house of sorts. There's about a ten acres of land that also go with the house so you can have that big garden that you've always wanted, mum. D- do you like it?"

It was clear her parents were fighting tears. Liz was the first to stand up and hug her and Draco. Grant followed quickly after. "We love it. Thank you so much. Both of you. This means so much to us," Grant said. Hermione and Draco smiled and hugged them back. They sat back down with the largest grins on their faces as the present unwrapping continued. Once all the gifts had been unwrapped, Hermione, Narcissa, Liz and Andromeda all convened in the kitchen to get working on Christmas lunch/dinner while everyone else relaxed in the living room and either messed with their new gifts or talked. At one point, Grant took the kids on a walk around the Manor grounds leaving Draco to his own devices. He walked into the kitchen to go after his wife.

He found her at the counter, chopping tomatoes for the salad. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kiss the base of her neck, causing her to chuckle. "You're lucky I'm particularly skilled in the kitchen, otherwise I probably would have hit you with the knife," she joked, as she jumped slightly at his touch.

"Good thing I'm a Healer, then," he replied, receiving another chuckle from his wife.

"Save it for the bedroom, you two," Liz said, causing the couple to laugh.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could borrow you for a moment?" Draco asked Hermione. She smiled at him and nodded, letting Andromeda take over the chopping of tomatoes while following her husband out of the kitchen. He led her back to their bedroom and closed the door after entering. She looked at him curiously. "What's up?"

He came up to her and held her hands in his. "I want to renew our vows."

She was taken aback for a moment. "O-okay, sure. What inspired you to do that?"

He shrugged. "I was just thinking that we've been married for fifteen years and together for twenty-one and I'm still as in love with you as I was when we first got together and I know I'll feel this way for the rest of my life but I just want to be able to renew our promise to each other. So what do you say, Hermione Malfoy? Will you marry me? Again?"

Hermione grinned and threw her arms around his neck and squealed as he picked her up and spun her around. "I would remarry you every day if I could," she replied. "Yes, absolutely. I would love to renew our vows."

He smiled and kissed her passionately before tackling her onto the bed.

* * *

After dinner, everyone gathered back into the living room and continued to chat. At one point of silence in the room, Scorpius and Myrna looked at each other quickly before looking to their father. "Dad?" Scorpius said.

"Yeah?" Draco asked, running his fingers through Hermione's hair.

"D- do you think you could tell us about Grandpa Lucius?"

His fingers froze at his son's question. He glanced at Hermione briefly before looking to Narcissa and had a silent conversation with her using only their eyes. She gave him a quick nod and Draco took a deep breath before looking back to his children who were looking at him expectantly. "What would you like to know about him?"

Scorpius and Myrna visibly relaxed as their father seemed to be willing to answer their questions while the twins just watched the scene in front of them unfold, silently. Scorpius thought for a moment and shrugged. "What was he like? How did he and Granny meet? We just don't know that much about him and we just wanted to know more about him."

Draco thought for a moment. "He… Lucius was a very lost man who got too far deep into something he should have strayed away from. But… I see now that he was also a good person. He cared about me and Granny, though he had a funny way of expressing it," he muttered.

Narcissa glared at her son before looking to her grandchildren. "Lucius and I met in school. We were both in the same house and from the second we started talking, we hit it off." She chuckled. "Even back then, the man had style. All the portraits that you've seen of him are with long hair but he was quite the looker when it was short."

Draco put his face in his hand and groaned. "Mum!"

Andromeda laughed at her nephew and patted Narcissa's hand. "I remember Cissy just _raving_ about him! I'm pretty sure Bella was going to be sick from how much you gushed over him."

The blonde laughed. "Bella hated anything that involved sentiment." Andromeda smirked and nodded in agreement. "Anyway," Narcissa continued, "on the surface, he was kind of the definition of a typical Slytherin: clever, ambitious, looked out only for those he cared about, et cetera, et cetera. But when you got to really know him, he actually had a very funny sense of humor. I remember one time, he made me laugh so hard, I had tears running down my face because he pulled a harmless but very funny prank on your father's late godfather, Severus. He threw something that was similar to a stink bomb at Severus but instead of making him smell bad, it dyed all of his hair, clothes, _and_ skin bright pink! And keep in mind, this is a man who always looked like he was going to a funeral because he was _always_ in black, even when it was hot out so seeing him be pink was the funniest thing I had ever seen. Severus avoided me for the rest of the week because anytime he came near me, I would start to laugh uncontrollably."

Draco and Hermione broke out into hysterical laughter at the thought of Severus Snape _pink_. "Oh my God!" Hermione gasped. " _Please_ , when you go back, find the portrait of Snape that's somewhere in the school and let him know that I said that pink is his color," she instructed her children, still laughing.

Myrna beamed, knowing exactly where she would be able to find Snape's portrait.

She remembered Albus telling her that he had stumbled on it once during his free period. Snape had a portrait that hung in the Headmaster's office next to Dumbledore but he liked to wander to an empty portrait that sat secluded on the third floor of the castle in order to get some peace and quiet. Albus had been wandering around that floor one day, when he found Snape's portrait and now had weekly conversations with him during his free period. Snape hadn't said it, but Albus was positive that he was Snape's new favorite.

Myrna nodded and smirked at the thought of telling Albus and Claire that story. Narcissa chuckled and looked to Draco. "Remember when he first taught you to fly?"

Draco groaned and laughed. "Oh dear Merlin; that was positively the _worst_ flying lesson I'd ever had! I actually considered never getting on a broom again!"

Hermione shot up and looked at him confused. "You? Never on a broom again? You're joking."

He laughed and shook his head. "I'm serious! It was such a disaster. Instead of putting me on a starter broom, Dad decided to go big and put me on a fairly powerful one at the time and then gave me instructions on what to do. I got the hang of it pretty quick and then begun to fly around the yard but then I lost control and landed in the old peacock pen. I couldn't get that smell out of my nose for a week!"

Ezra and Gemma shuddered in disgust as Myrna and Scorpius were turning red from laughter. Grant chuckled at his son-in-law. "What inspired you to get back on?" he asked.

Draco shrugged. "Dad just kept going on and on about how great it was to ride a broom and that no one is ever going to get it right the first time. I think it was only a week later that I jumped back on and I've loved flying ever since." He smiled as he recalled that particular memory.

Andromeda smiled and began to share a story of how nervous Lucius was when Narcissa first introduced him to the eldest Black sister. Narcissa, Andromeda, and Draco continued to share stories of Lucius for the rest of the night, sharing laughs and even a few tears as they remembered the late Malfoy patriarch. By the end of the evening, all four Malfoy children felt that they had a better understanding of the grandfather they never knew and Draco felt happy remembering the good memories with his father.

By all standards, it had been the best Christmas yet.


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: You guys are the best! Thank you for all your reviews; they make my day!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Changes**

The Christmas holiday came and went and before everyone knew it, school had started again. Friends convened together in the halls of Hogwarts as they caught up and chatted animatedly about their holiday. Gemma was standing next to her twin brother talking to Monty and Lily as they waited for class to start when she noticed a familiar figure sitting in a window seat down the hall a ways. She studied him curiously then, with a sudden large amount of impulsive courage, excused herself from her friends to go and talk to him.

Harrison Jenner was staring out the window, lost in thought when a small figure sat next to him on the window seat. He looked to see a small witch with curly brown hair and silver eyes smiling at him. "Hello, Harrison," she said.

He raised an eyebrow. "Little Malfoy?" he questioned, using his nickname that he had created for the Malfoy twins.

She gave him an incredulous look. "My name is Gemma," she said, matter-of-factly.

Harrison stared at her for a moment before realizing that she was giving him a chance to rephrase his greeting. "Oh, um, hello _Gemma_."

She grinned at him. "How was your Christmas?" she asked.

He seemed confused as to why she was talking to him and asking about his Christmas but, he didn't want to be rude, even if she _was_ a Malfoy. "Um, just fine, thanks. Um, yours?"

"It was great! We threw a party and raced around on our brooms in the backyard and told stories. It was a lot of fun!"

He cleared his throat. "Well, that's good, I guess." He looked back out the window, expecting her to leave but was surprised when she didn't. "Isn't your brother going to lose it if he sees you talking to me?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I'm not afraid of Scorpius. He acts all brave and whatnot but as soon as he sees a spider, he runs away, screaming, in the other direction. Granted, so do I…" she trailed off.

Harrison smirked. "That still doesn't explain why you're talking to me."

She smiled at him. "You seemed like you were lonely and I wanted to see how your holiday was."

He said nothing for a moment, turning her words over in his head. "Why are you being so nice to me?" he asked. "Ever since your brother and I got back from our separate suspensions, he's been civil and so have you. Your other brother and sister, not so much though."

She shrugged. "Myrna and Ezra are Gryffindors which means that they're incredibly stubborn. They'll come around. As for me and Scorp, well, you remind us of our dad a little bit."

He did a double take. "I do?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Both you and our dad were brought up to believe a specific thing even though that that belief is wrong. My dad learned almost too late that blood purity doesn't matter but you, you're still young. You still have time to learn about the world and make your own opinion about the people in it. I'm just here to help speed the process along."

"You don't hate me for what I said about your mother?"

She shook her head. "I forgive you."

He almost fell over. He hadn't seen that coming at all. "Why?"

"Life's too short for hatred. Besides, I like to think that somewhere, deep down, you only believe the whole blood purity thing because your father does and you want to impress him."

Harrison scoffed and tried to hide his blush as she began to figure him out. "You don't know anything about me, Little Malfoy."

She smirked. "Perhaps. But I also think that a lot of my assumptions about you are true." She stood up and winked at him. "Just you wait, Harrison Jenner. By the time you graduate, I'll know you better than you know yourself." And with that, she left the older wizard dumbfounded as she walked off to her first class of the day. He watched her walk away and turned back around to stare out the window, trying to understand how a First Year could get under his skin so well.

Unbeknownst to both parties, Scorpius and Claire had been watching from afar, using an extendable ear to listen into the conversation. They looked to each other as they watched Gemma walk away. "Well that was different," Claire mused.

Scorpius nodded. "I definitely didn't see that coming." He sighed. "I should probably go talk to her."

Claire shook her head. "No, don't. I'd actually like to see what Gem has planned." Scorpius looked at her disbelievingly. "I'm serious," she explained. "I think she could be good for Jenner. She might actually be able to change his mind and views."

The Slytherin hesitated. "I don't know, Claire…"

She put her hand on his arm, ignoring the butterflies that erupted in her stomach as she touched him. "Look, Scorp, I'm not going to tell you what to do with your sister because she is _your_ sister. But as someone who sees your family as an extension of my own, I'm just saying that Gemma tends to bring this light into people's lives and I think she has the potential to do the same with Jenner. I say let it play out for now and if it gets too complicated, you can step in. And if he hurts her in any way, then I can promise you that I will be right by your side as we hex his stupid ass to the Underworld."

Scorpius chuckled. "Alright, I can do that."

Claire smiled and squeezed his arm before beginning to walk off to class. "Hey Claire," Scorpius called after her. She turned around to see him walking back up to her. "Listen, I was wondering, my mum is going to start the guys and I on O.W.L.S. studying this summer and well, I was wondering if you'd be able to help me occasionally? Just for some extra study time?"

She smiled at him and nodded. "Sure."

He smiled. "Thanks," he said, watching her walk off, his stomach churning with butterflies as he thought about her smile and the way her hand felt on his arm.

* * *

School had only been back in session for two weeks before the Next Generation Marauders pulled their next prank. Inspired by the story Narcissa had told about the prank that Lucius had pulled on Severus during their school days, Scorpius called in a favor with George Weasley and had a powerful color bomb delivered to him during breakfast one morning. After discussing it with the boys, they decided to drop it right after classes got out for lunch in order to get the best desired effect.

Right as a large crowd of kids gathered in front of the grand staircase before entering the Great Hall, James threw the color bomb into the center of the hall then ran for his life into the Great Hall, barely containing his laughter as he heard a loud boom and people yelling. He ran over to the Slytherin table where Scorpius, Bass, and Ben were waiting, and then waited for everyone to walk in. Sure enough, five minutes later, students and a few professors began to file into the Great Hall covered in a variety of colors. Immediately all four boys broke out into uncontrollable laughter as they saw Professor McGonagall walk in sporting a bright green color. There laughter started to wane, however, as they saw Myrna walk in, bright pink, and looking like she wanted to hit someone.

As soon as she made eye contact with her brother, she began to walk over the Slytherin table with a fire in her eyes. Scorpius looked to duck out of the way but didn't do it in time as she reached them. "Seriously?" she said.

James was still struggling to control his laughter. "I have to admit, Minnie, that color works on you."

She glared at him. "Don't start, Potter. I'm not happy with _any_ of you."

"It was Scorp's idea!" Bass said, receiving a glare from his best friend. "What? I'm trying to stay on my girlfriend's good side!"

"By throwing me under the bus?" Scorpius replied. "Like that would work!"

"He's right," Myrna agreed with her brother. "I don't care who's idea it was, you all went along with it." She rounded her gaze onto her brother. "You know what this means now."

He gulped suddenly very aware of how dangerous his sister could be. "Um… you're going to write to mum and dad?" he asked, hoping for the lesser of the two evils she was about to unleash.

She smirked and shook her head. "Prank war. You four against me, Claire, Albus, Lily, Monty, and the twins."

"What?!" Ben exclaimed. "That's not fair, you can't use our siblings against us!"

"I can, I will, and I am. You four are able to cause enough trouble on your own. You don't need anyone else but I will take what I can get and I can promise you that we _will_ beat you."

Scorpius matched his sister's stare, his competitive side coming out. "Bring it on, sis. You're going down."

She gave him a Slytherin kind of smirk and winked. "We'll see about that. Have a good day, boys," she said before walking off. The four looked amongst each other as the gravity of what they just agreed to settled on them before, out of nowhere, it started to rain on them, making them soaking wet.

"MYRNA!" Scorpius bellowed across the dining hall only to be met with a smirk coming from his sister and now, her entourage of prank pullers.

This was going to be one insane prank war.


	11. Chapter 11

**_A/N: Who's ready for a prank war?! I'm so excited for this. I hope you guys like it! Also, in case there's any confusion still, Jenner is in Scorpius' year (4th year) putting three years between him and Gemma._**

 ** _Tallyho!_**

* * *

Chapter 11: The Prank War

Within the first week of the prank war, hell had broken loose more than once. After the color bomb prank, Myrna and her prank team decided to attack Bass and Scorp's and Ben and James' respective rooms with muggle cellophane wrap (courtesy of Harry who fully encouraged the prank war) and covered the room ceiling to floor with the wrap, making it incredibly difficult to remove even with magic. The next prank, the boys enchanted paper airplanes to follow Myrna and her prank team around all day but it backfired when Claire set them all on fire and sent them back towards the boys, barely missing them as all four ducked out of the way. Scorpius glared at the Ravenclaw after that but felt his reserve falter when she smirked and winked at him. It took all the self control he had not to melt onto the floor.

* * *

McGonagall had finally written to Hermione and Draco, letting them know about their children's prank war, after Myrna had mixed a potion into the boys' shampoo causing them all to go bald. Bass and Scorpius had been mortified and hid behind a book all day and Ben wore a hat but James strolled around school, bare head and all, completely unphased by the sudden loss of his hair. Instead, it somehow made him more confident in himself.

Draco was laughing hysterically as Hermione read McGonagall's letter aloud, chuckling a few times as well. "Oh Merlin!" Draco exclaimed as he got a breath in. "She made them go bald?! I'm telling you, she should have been in Slytherin. That's genius! Where does she get this stuff?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm so glad you're amused that your daughter just traumatized her brother and his friends by making them lose their hair."

"It grows back!" Draco replied. "Besides, we're wizards! I'm sure they already made their hair grow back and the embarrassment is over."

"And the next prank has begun…" Hermione said, shaking her head and writing a response to McGonagall reassuring the older witch that the kids love each other too much to do any real harm but to please keep an eye on them and make sure that no one lost any more hair.

* * *

Back at school, the pranks continued, much to the entertainment of everyone else. McGonagall always shook her head at the pranks but would secretly smile to herself at the ones that she found particularly funny while Neville would outright encourage them and even give each kid different ideas.

Everyone on each team was consistently throwing out ideas for how to pull the next prank and how to make it "epic" (James' wording); everyone except Gemma. While she loved watching the prank war, she preferred to participate from the sidelines and give advice on particular pranks that each team was planning on pulling without actually helping to act them out. Ezra, on the other hand, was all too eager to volunteer to pull a prank on his brother and his friends. If there was ever a riskier prank that they wanted to pull, Ezra was the first to volunteer and act it out, without getting caught, miraculously.

One day, while Ezra was setting up a glitter bomb (similar to the color bomb but this one would spread glitter everywhere), Gemma was wandering down the halls and humming to herself when she spotted a familiar figure. Jenner was walking a few feet ahead of her, seeming to be lost in thought. She picked up the pace and skipped until she was walking next to him, making him jump at her sudden appearance. "Hello, Harrison," she said happily.

"Hello, Little Malfoy," he said. Gemma had stayed true to her word and consistently tried to talk to Jenner about how great muggles and their world was much to his frustration. He had tried to shake her off multiple times but all to no avail as she was not deterred. Eventually he accepted that Gemma was particularly stubborn and was going to pester him until his views changed (like that would ever happen). So in the meantime, he decided to just let the girl talk to him and hoped that eventually, she'd just give up. So far it had yet to work but there was still time.

He walked in silence while Gemma prattled on about the latest Charms assignment before she put a hand on his arm to stop him. He looked down, confused at the gesture and looked up at her to find her looking around them before speaking. "Stay away from the third floor after classes get out tonight."

"What? Why?" he asked.

"You'll see," she replied mysteriously before skipping down the hall, leaving him dumbfounded. Again.

Jenner saw what Gemma meant later that night as he heard a large explosion, yelling, and many students entering the Great Hall for dinner covered in glitter from head to toe. Myrna, Ezra, Albus, and Claire began to laugh hysterically as the Marauders wandered into the Great Hall. They got the worst of the explosion and looked like a fairy had thrown up on them repeatedly. Gemma rolled her eyes and chuckled at her brother and his friends while Lily fell off the table from laughing so hard and Monty immediately began to start making jokes about the boys being so sparkly.

It would be another week before everyone got rid of all the glitter.

The prank war would continue for another two months until one day, Myrna broke James.

One of the things that James could never understand about the muggle world was frozen waffles. He seemed baffled by the idea of waffles being frozen and the one time that he had tried it, he had gotten sick so - to Myrna's entertainment - he made his parents swear that frozen waffles would never set foot in the house again. Harry and Ginny had agreed just to appease their son.

But when Myrna, along with Albus and Lily, sent a letter to the Potters asking for a year's worth of frozen waffles in order to mess with James, they were all too eager to help out. After the package arrived, Myrna put the plan into action. She began to pass waffles out to everyone (all the students and staff) and gave them strict instructions to give a waffle to James and then walk away. They were to say nothing, even if James pursued them. As the day started the next day, Myrna was the first to act.

She walked up to the group of four boys, gave Bass a chaste kiss, handed James the waffle, then walked away. "Myrna! What the bloody hell is this?!" James called after her. She smirked to herself and kept walking. As soon as Myrna gave James the first waffle, everyone else followed suit. Throughout the day students and staff alike kept giving James a frozen waffle then walking away, saying nothing. Scorpius, Bass, and Ben were just as dumbfounded as James and tried to get people to tell them what was going on but no one would fess up.

By the time dinner rolled around, James had been approached by every single student and staff member and had more frozen waffles on his person than he ever wanted in his lifetime. Just as he thought he was safe, however, Scorpius' owl Edgar came swooping into the dining room carrying a small bag. He stopped at the Slytherin table, where James was sitting with the boys, just above James' head, opened the bag with his beak and a lifetime supply of waffles came pouring out of it and on top of him. James barely had enough time to duck under the table before an avalanche of waffles came tumbling down on him. When the bag emptied, Edgar flew over to Myrna and she gave him a small bite of her food before he flew out of the dining hall again.

Everyone watched in silence as James began to dig his way through the mountain of waffles that now stood where he once sat. When he reached the surface, he yelled in defeat. "Alright!" he exclaimed, looking across the dining hall to Myrna, who was sitting with her team at the Gryffindor table, "YOU WIN!"

Immediately, Myrna and her team broke out into cheers while the boys groaned. James pushed the mountain of waffles over and then fell on top of it, accepting his defeat. A moment later, Myrna was standing over him, her hand stretched out to him. "Come to gloat?" he asked.

She chuckled and shook her head. "I don't need to. The image of you on top a giant pile of frozen waffles is enough for me."

He groaned and rolled his eyes before taking her outstretched hand and allowed her to help him back up. She shook his hand as well as the other boys before looking to her eldest brother. "I gotta admit, Minnie, you're good," Scorpius admitted.

She smirked. "You're not so bad yourself, big brother."

He rolled his eyes and pulled her into a bear hug. "Scorp! I can't breathe!" Myrna gasped.

He laughed and let her go. She scrunched her nose at him and ruffled his hair before turning to hug her boyfriend. He kissed the top her head and smirked as she pulled back and vanished the frozen waffles with a flick of her wrist, showing off some impressive wandless work at the same time.

The boys gaped at her. "Where'd you learn to do that?" Ben asked amazed.

She winked at them. "Wouldn't you like to know," she smirked before walking back off to the Gryffindor table.

The boys looked to Scorpius who just shrugged and sat back down at the table only to blush as a large farting noise sounded off as he sat down. He looked down to find a whoopee cushion underneath him and glared at his sister who was laughing with Claire.

"MYRNA!"

* * *

 ** _P.S. Let's be honest, no prank war is complete without a whoopee cushion prank! Also, fun fact, the waffle prank actually happened (not to me). My math professor told me a story once about how everyone at her son's work gave him a frozen waffle then walked away without saying a word so I decided to throw it into here because I thought that it was hilarious. I hope you liked the prank war!_**

 ** _I'm sorry to say that the next chapter is the last one in this story. But fear not, I have another story currently being written so you'll hear from me again very soon!_**

 ** _Stay Golden!_**


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N: So this is it... the journey of the When the Day Met the Night sequel is over. Thank you guys so much for all the love and support for this story. I'm so glad that you guys liked this story and When the Day Met the Night. For those of you following The Serpent, the Lioness, and the Dog, there's still a few more chapters to post and then that one will be done as well. But like I said, I've got another story being written right now so you'll hear from me again very soon. Also, I'm still getting reviews saying that they can't access the links to the dresses; Fanfiction doesn't allow readers to copy and paste (with good reason) from stories so my recommendation is just to type out the link in a separate tab and hopefully it will take you where the dresses are. Sorry I can't help more than that, guys, but that's the best thing I can suggest. Thank you again for all your kind words. You are the best readers a girl could ask for!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 12: The End**

The rest of the semester passed semi-uneventfully (the boys still pulled their weekly pranks, of course) but the next thing everyone knew, the school year was over and summer vacation had begun (to everyone's joy).

Back at the Manor, the Malfoy children were sitting in the kitchen sharing various stories with their parents while Draco picked grapes off the plate that Hermione had just laid out for everyone.

"I'm so excited for our Quidditch game this summer!" Myrna said. "Bass and I made a point to get some extra practice in this year and we're _totally_ gonna crush James and Ben!"

"I'm pretty sure snogging under the Quidditch pitch doesn't count as practice, Minnie," Scorpius interjected.

Draco nearly choked on the grape that he had been eating and Hermione just chuckled and shook her head. Myrna stared at her brother in disbelief, trying to hide her embarrassment that she and Bass had been caught. "You- I- Scorp's in love with Claire!" she yelled.

It was Scorpius' turn to choke on his drink while Gemma's face lit up. "I knew it!" she exclaimed.

"I am _NOT_!" Scorpius defended, a light blush growing on his cheeks.

"Uh huh. Sure you're not. And I'm sure you also didn't ask Claire to help you study for your O.W.L.S. this summer even though you know mum's study plan she has for you is going to have you beyond prepared."

"Claire's a smart girl! Maybe she'll have pointers that mum might miss!"

Hermione stared at her son incredulously. "I resent that!" she exclaimed.

"Sorry, mum," Scorpius said. "But I am _NOT_ in love with Claire!"

Gemma smirked. "Keep telling yourself that, brother-mine."

He stuck his tongue out at her. "Oh you think you're in the clear, do you? Did you tell mum and dad about how you've been trying to get Harrison Jenner to change his views? You know he's a lost cause!"

Gemma rolled her eyes. "No one is ever a lost cause."

"Harrison Jenner… isn't that the boy you punched, Scorp?" Draco interjected. Scorpius nodded and Hermione looked to her youngest daughter.

"Are you really trying to get him to change his views, love?"

Gemma nodded. "And, contrary to popular belief, it's already working. He thinks that the wall he keeps up is impenetrable but I'm already seeing some cracks." Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Just you wait, brother-mine," she said. "By the time Harrison graduates, that boy will be a changed person because he'll have seen that he's wrong."

Draco chuckled and smiled at his little girl. "I must admit, Gem, that I admire your optimism. I only hope that you're right about that Jenner boy."

"Don't worry, daddy. I am," she said, confidently. He smiled at her then looked to her twin. "Ezra," he said, noting how his youngest son had stayed quiet throughout the discussion. "Do you have anything to share that your mother and I should know about?"

Ezra peaked up from his book to find both parents staring at him with an eyebrow raised. He lowered the book and scratched the back of his head. "Uh, well, I may or may not have flooded the Slytherin dorm bathrooms during our prank war."

"THAT WAS YOU?!" Scorpius exclaimed.

Myrna laughed and high fived her youngest brother. "I didn't know that! Right on, little brother!"

"Albus helped," he admitted.

Hermione shook her head. "Anything else?"

He hesitated. "I shaved dad's mustache off."

"WHAT?!" Draco exclaimed. A year earlier, Draco had decided it was time for something new and grew a mustache. All four kids and Hermione hated it but he was stubborn and kept it until one morning, he woke to find it gone. He asked Hermione if she had shaved it off during the night and she had told him no but convinced him otherwise when he considered growing it out again. As it turns out, Ezra snuck in one night and very carefully shaved his father's mustache off, much to the relief of his siblings and mother. "Actually, now that I think about it, that does seem like something you would do," Draco observed.

Ezra chuckled nervously and looked at his watch. "Oh, look at the time! I think it's time we head over to Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny's, don't you guys think?" he suggested to his siblings, not-so-secretly telling them to get out before any other secrets got spilled.

Myrna nodded and began to shuffle everyone out of the kitchen. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," she said quickly. "We'll just head over early and see you guys there later!" she said to her parents.

"Bye!" all four kids said before running out of the kitchen.

Draco and Hermione chuckled at their children and turned to each other. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she threw her arms around his neck. "You sure you didn't put Ez up to shaving off my mustache?"

She laughed and shook her head. "No, but I'm starting to wish I had."

He rolled his eyes and leaned in to kiss her but it was cut short when a yell echoed through the house. "MUM! Tell Scorp to get off me!" Myrna yelled.

"She started it!" Scorpius yelled back.

Draco chuckled and kissed his wife quickly before going with her to break up whatever wrestling match broke out between their children this time.

 **The End**


End file.
